Canada’s Minister of Health and Chief Public Health Officer today announced a $4.5 million contract with Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Inc. to manufacture a number of courses of the company’s ZMapp treatment for Ebola.
ZMapp utilizes uses two monoclonal antibodies (mAb) which were initially discovered by scientists at the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg; and one mAb discovered by the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID).
ZMapp has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical trials in the United States and West Africa and has shown promise when used to treat individuals infected with Ebola Disease Virus.
“We are pleased to continue our longstanding partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada. While we are committed to supplying clinical studies in West Africa, we look forward to providing ZMappTM to assist with Canada’s preparedness,” said Dr. Kevin Whaley CEO of Mapp Biopharmaceutical.
This contract with Mapp Biopharmaceutical secures Canada’s access to this Ebola treatment and complement the Government of Canada’s overall Ebola preparedness and response activities. Such activities include funding for clinical trials for Canada’s VSV-EBOV Ebola vaccine, strengthened border measures to screen travelers, and domestic Ebola Rapid Response Teams.
The Government of Canada has committed a total of more than $110 million to support health, humanitarian, and security interventions to address the spread of Ebola and for further research and development of Ebola medical countermeasures.