Advances in tackling filoviruses

Filoviruses are virulent pathogens that cause deadly haemorrhagic fever in humans and non-human primates. There is currently no approved drug or vaccine to tackle this disease. Two vaccine platforms that use adenovirus vectors have completed phase I studies, while a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus-based vaccine has successfully complet-ed a phase III trial. Intricate macromolecular therapeutics have also been developed, most notably those based on anti-bodies or interfering RNA or RNA-surrogates. Most small molecules active against filoviruses have not yet advanced to clinical trials, except favipiravir, which was proven to be safe, and GS-5734, which has entered trials.