Swiss Vaccine To Treat Ebola Approved For Human Trials.

The Wall Street Journal (10/28, MacLucas, Subscription Publication) reported that on Tuesday, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products approved an Ebola vaccine trial that will take place at Lausanne University Hospital. The volunteers for the trial, 120 in total, are healthcare workers who will work in West Africa.

        Bloomberg News (10/29, Gale, Fourcade) reports that Blaise Genton, the study’s leader, is “quite optimistic,” saying in an interview, “We need to go very fast so that we may have something more than what we have now in terms of preventive measures.” The vaccine is being developed by GlaxoSmithKline. The AP (10/28) and Reuters (10/28, Nebehay, Hirschler) also covered the story.

        Ebola Treatment Review Bill To Be Introduced. The Hill (10/29, Ferris) reports that “leaders of the Senate Health Committee are planning to introduce a bill that would fast-track the creation of Ebola treatments by offering incentives to drug companies.” The bill, which is co-authored by Sens. Tom Harkin and Lamar Alexander, would permit the Federal government to use a program called “priority review” to “speed through a company’s drug application for Ebola within about six months.” Additionally, “the companies would also earn a bonus voucher for another drug of their choice to receive priority review, even if it’s not meant to treat a neglected disease like Ebola.” In a statement, Sen. Alexander said, “This bill will help fight Ebola with a tool that encourages the development of necessary but unprofitable drugs — offering a reward for drug makers who invest the time and resources to develop drugs to treat, and hopefully cure, Ebola.”

        Cornyn Requests Status Update On Ebola Treatment Plan. The Hill (10/29, Marcos) reports in its “Floor Action” blog that “Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) on Tuesday requested information from the Obama administration on the progress of treatments for Ebola.” Cornyn wrote a letter to National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg urging “the agencies to prioritize research for an Ebola vaccine.”

        US Ebola Vaccine Contracts Could Be Worth At Least $1 Billion. CNN’s Money (10/28, Rooney), citing a report from Credit Suisse, reported that “the US government alone can be expected to award contracts worth more than $1 billion to companies to fund large quantities of Ebola medicine.” Meanwhile, the article reported that “the deadly virus has struck such fear globally that people are betting many governments will start stockpiling Ebola drugs to combat any future outbreaks.”

        Maryland Company Developing Ebola Vaccine. The Washington Post (10/29, Overly) “Capital Business” blog reports that Gaithersburg, MD-based “Novavax, a life sciences company that develops vaccines for infectious diseases, could begin testing a vaccine to stem the spread of Ebola in humans as soon as December, the company’s chief executive said.” Company CEO Stanley C. Erck “said the company would expect to have results from its initial trial in humans during the first three months of 2015 and, based on those results, could plot a path toward selling the vaccine later that year.”