Gilead Sciences said on Thursday it would donate about 5,000 vials of its antiviral drug remdesivir to the Rwanda Medical Supply for emergency use in response to the Marburg virus outbreak. The drug is being supplied in conjunction with Rwanda's health ministry and the Africa Centers for Disease Control,

For the first time in Rwanda’s history, its health ministry is dealing with an outbreak of Marburg virus disease, a rare but deadly hemorrhagic disease similar to Ebola – but unlike Ebola, there is no treatment or vaccines for Marburg,

Rwanda is preparing to initiate vaccine and therapeutic trials for Marburg virus disease in the coming days. The country has reported 36 confirmed cases and 11 fatalities since the outbreak began last month.