Repurposed therapeutic agents targeting the Ebola virus: a protocol for a systematic review

BACKGROUND: The recent Ebola epidemic in western Africa developed into an acute public health emergency of unprecedented level in modern times. The treatment provided in most cases has been limited to supportive care, as no approved therapies are available to date. Several established, licenced drugs have been suggested as potential repurposed therapeutic agents for Ebola. However, scientific data on their efficacy in treating Ebola is limited. The purpose of this review is to systematically assess scientific evidence on potential drugs targeting Ebola. In specific, we aim to (1) identify drug library screens involving therapeutic agents targeting the Ebola virus, (2) list potential approved drugs identified from drug screens and review their mechanism of action against the Ebola virus and (3) summarise the outcome of preclinical and clinical trials investigating approved drugs targeting the Ebola virus. METHODS/DESIGN: We will develop comprehensive systematic search strategies and will perform a systematic literature search in MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Two authors will independently screen the titles, abstracts and the references of all selected articles on the basis of inclusion criteria. These include any available drug screening, preclinical studies and clinical studies examining the efficacy of approved therapeutic agents targeting the Ebola virus. There will be no restrictions on the type of participants, the type of comparator, time or setting. Data extraction and quality assessment will be undertaken by two review authors working independently. DISCUSSION: This systematic review will provide systematic knowledge on potential repurposed therapeutic agents targeting Ebola. It aims to help guide future investigations on repurposed drugs and avoid repetitive studies. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42015024349 ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13643-015-0153-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.