Chimerix antiviral to be tested in West African Ebola trial Thu Nov 13, 2014 1:02pm EST (Reuters) - Chimerix Inc said its experimental broad-spectrum antiviral was one of two agents to be tested in a trial in confirmed Ebola patients in West Africa. Chimerix and the University of Oxford are in process of finalizing an agreement to supply the drug, brincidofovir, for the study. The study will be led by the university on behalf of the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC), and funded by the Wellcome Trust, the biotechnology company said on Thursday. The drug has never been tested on Ebola-infected laboratory animals or humans before, although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a mid-stage study last month to evaluate its safety and effectiveness. Brincidofovir was also given to the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the United States, Thomas Eric Duncan, who later succumbed to the infection.