A coalition of pharmaceutical regulators from across the globe, including FDA, the European Medicines Agency, and authorities in China, Brazil, Australia, and South Africa, came together earlier this month in hopes of finding a medical solution to the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa. Announced in a statement by the World Health Organization, more than 150 international leaders in clinical research, regulatory, legal, finance, and ethics met for a two-day discussion about potential Ebola therapies and vaccines. Although none of the compounds discussed is approved for human use, the group hopes to spur evaluation and development of certain treatments that have shown promising results in animal studies. In the past, there has been limited research into Ebola treatments because the disease's rarity and deadly nature make it difficult to study in humans. Regulators may attempt to accelerate development of new drugs by allowing manufacturers to access investigational therapies and validate new manufacturing methods through a less rigorous process. In a related measure last month, FDA warned consumers to be aware of products claiming to prevent or treat the Ebola virus, since currently no such drugs have been FDA-approved.

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