BARDA helping Mapp Biopharmaceutical scale production of Ebola drug

Ebola virus under an electron microscope--Courtesy of CDC

The U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is making money available to help drugmakers test and manufacture drugs that might help turn the tide of the Ebola outbreak in Africa. It said that it was providing nearly $25 million to Mapp Biopharmaceutical of San Diego, CA, along with access to subject matter expertise and technical support for manufacturing, regulatory, and nonclinical activities to help it achieve FDA approval of its Ebola treatment medication ZMapp, which was used on a special basis to treat two U.S. aid workers who were infected. They have since been cleared of the infection. It said Mapp will make enough product for clinical studies and then "work with BARDA on the manufacturing process, increasing production yields and the scale of manufacturing." Release