Owensboro company puts 'all of our focus' on making Ebola drug (ZMapp)

[Little Star]

Kentucky BioProcessing, the Owensboro company that grew the ZMapp compound given to two American Ebola survivors, has gone into full-scale production of the drug.

The plant has put all other projects on hold, said David Howard, spokesman for Reynolds American, which owns the contract production plant that grows pharmaceuticals in a special kind of tobacco plants.

"All of our focus is solely on ZMapp production," Howard said Tuesday.

Kentucky BioProcessing reconfigured its production plans in early August, he said, and it now has more of the ZMapp compound grown for Mapp Biopharmaceutical.

"We're hoping our efforts can help expedite the drug approval process," Howard said.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2014/10/14/3480289/owensboro-facility-turned-over.html#storylink=cpy

Good for them but we're still a day late and a dollar short right now.

[kestrel91316]

1. Without a good vaccine we're completely screwed.

This is fine for wealthy elites, but won't save West Africa.

[KamaAina]

2. The Canadians have our back on that one.

http://metamorphosis.democraticunderground.com/10025662333

[kestrel91316]

3. Yep. Initial indicators are promising. It's a nifty genetically engineered live nonpathogenic

viral vectored vaccine along the lines of these, which are fantastically safe and effective for my patients:

http://us.merial.com/pdf/labels/purevaxfelinerabies.pdf

http://www.entirelypets.com/purevax-recombinant-leukemia-felv-25-doses.html

[Marrah_G]

4. Its not an easy drug to make

It take a long time and with ebola outbreaks being rare this was the first time they were able to try it on humans.