June 10, 2015 - Ottawa, ON - Public Health Agency of Canada
The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, and Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Gregory Taylor, today announced a $4.5 million USD contract between the Government of Canada and Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Inc. to manufacture a number of courses of ZMapp™ monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment for Ebola.
The ZMapp™ treatment, developed by Mapp Biopharmaceutical, uses two mAbs 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 infected individuals.
This contract with Mapp Biopharmaceutical secures Canada's access to this Ebola treatment.
Access to the ZMapp™ Ebola treatment will complement the Government of Canada's overall Ebola preparedness and response activities. These activities also include funding for clinical trials for Canada's VSV-EBOV Ebola vaccine, strengthened border measures to screen travellers, and domestic Ebola Rapid Response Teams. These and other initiatives ensure Canada's ability to respond quickly to safeguard the health of Canadians in the event a case of Ebola should occur in Canada.
The Government of Canada remains committed to supporting international efforts to control the Ebola outbreak and to ensuring that appropriate precautions and measures are in place to protect Canadians.
"Canada has dedicated considerable resources to support health, humanitarian and security efforts on Ebola at home and abroad. Investing in this promising technology strengthens our capacity to respond quickly to protect the health of Canadians."
Honourable Rona Ambrose
Minister of Health
"This is an important element in our Ebola domestic preparedness efforts and showcases scientific innovation in Canada. This solution will enhance the ability to produce and supply Ebola treatments for emergency use."
Dr. Gregory Taylor
Chief Public Health Officer
"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 ZMapp™ to assist with Canada's preparedness."
Dr. Kevin Whaley
CEO, Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Inc.
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Michael Bolkenius
Office of the Honourable Rona Ambrose
Federal Minister of Health
613-957-0200
Media Relations
Public Health Agency of Canada
613-957-2983
