Ethical issue: Who gets experimental Ebola drug? [View all]
WASHINGTON — The use of an experimental drug to treat two Americans diagnosed with Ebola is raising ethical questions about who gets first access to unproven new therapies for the deadly disease. But some health experts fear debate over extremely limited doses will distract from tried-and-true measures to curb the growing outbreak — things like more rapidly identifying and isolating the sick.
The World Health Organization is convening a meeting of medical ethicists next week to examine what it calls “the responsible thing to do” about whatever supplies eventually may become available of a medicine that’s never been tested in people.
At least one country involved in the outbreak is interested in the drug. Nigeria’s health minister, Onyenbuchi Chukwu, said at a news conference that he had asked U.S. health officials about access but authorities say the manufacturer would have to agree.
Read the rest at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/ethical-issue-who-gets-experimental-ebola-drug/2014/08/06/7d7e136c-1dae-11e4-9b6c-12e30cbe86a3_story.html
= new reply since forum marked as read