Behind the Scenes of the Drug Approval Process: Containing Ebola Li Zha Medicine, Science, Science & Medicine The spread of Ebola is unsettling to many Americans, yet to date the U.S. FDA and the EMA (the FDA’s European counterpart) have not approved any medicines or vaccines to treat a potential global outbreak. In October 2014, both agencies released guidelines for companies to get accelerated approval for potential Ebola treatments; such emergency responses are unprecedented. Why did the FDA and EMA make these rules in the case of Ebola and how will they change the course of drug approval? Harvard University chemist Li Zha explains.
Examining Ebola Fears & Viral Mutations Joseph Timpona Medicine, Science, Science & Medicine Ebola hysteria dominated popular news in 2014. However, since the outbreak began to draw attention in March earlier this year, only two people have been infected in the United States. Did this really warrant non-stop media coverage? Much of this attention may have been attributed in part to the worry that Ebola may “mutate to become airborne,” but is this even something we need to worry about?
Ebola’s Predecessors: What These Five Epidemics Can Teach Us Mark Wien Medicine, Science, Science & Medicine, Society & Culture Media portrayals of Ebola paint a stark picture—hazmat suits, mass graves, evacuations. But what do past worldwide epidemics have to teach us? Medical student Mark Wien examines epidemiology’s history lessons.
