On Jun. 23, 2026, the U.S. has provided doses of an experimental antibody drug from Mapp Biopharmaceutical for use in ​clinical trials to fight the widening Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo, a Health Department spokesperson said, a shift from its position of making the drug available just for ‌Americans.

After dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development and slashing aid to the region, the U.S. is now making modest contributions to assist with what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said could potentially be the worst Ebola outbreak yet without a strong response.

The Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson declined to comment on the number of doses it will provide, saying by email that the drug is being made available for compassionate use in Congo as well as to advance a clinical trial in ​the outbreak region. The trial data could help inform future regulatory review and potential U.S. approval, the spokesperson said.

There are no approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has caused more ​than 1,000 cases in Congo, including more than 250 deaths. A handful of cases and deaths have also been reported in neighboring Uganda.

The Mapp drug is expected to be among the first to be tested in the outbreak, which was declared a public health emergency by the WHO just over a month ago ​and is already the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record.

Doses of the Mapp drug ⁠and other therapeutics intended for trials are being shipped now, the World Health Organization told Reuters. The agency is working with health partners to prepare for trial enrollment in health facilities, the spokesperson said.

This ​marks the first time the U.S. government has indicated it plans to directly support clinical trials of the antibody treatment known as MBP134 from San Diego-based Mapp, by providing stockpiled doses. The U.S. had previously said doses would ​only be made available for Americans deemed to be at high risk after exposure to the virus.