Professor Piero Olliaro: interview 1 and transcripts

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The Microsoft Word format interview transcript for interview OH3/1/1 is the original, PDF transcript created by archivist for preservation and access reasons. <p> [00:00:00] Introduction, background infectious diseases; PhD Italy and France; 22 years WHO; tropical medicine work Africa, South East Asia, Latin America. Ebola team at Oxford University; Wellcome Trust grant; clinical trial platform Ebola therapeutics. Describes TKM product by Tekmira; funding by American Department of Defence, IP (intellectual property) issues. [00:03:30] Lists WHO prioritisation; evidence activity in vitro and non human primates; efficacy when treatment three days post infection. Explains small interfering RNA; targets three viral messenger RNAs; delivery via lipid nanoparticles. [00:06:30] Reports manufacturing scale up; trial protocol; ethics and regulatory approvals Sierra Leone complete; team in country; 100 doses to treat 100 patients. Notes site visits with Peter Horby; engagement pharmacy board, ethics committee; challenge falling incidence; need sufficient enrolment. [00:09:00] Identifies Ebola treatment centres rather than hospitals; partner Irish NGO GOARN; Port Loko; local counterparts College of Medicine and Applied Health Sciences; lead Dr Samai; in country clinical coordinator Jake Dunning. Outlines trial during epidemic; adherence GCP; emergency context; contagion risk; PPE; informed consent challenges; language barriers; inclusion children; adaptation and SOP revisions. [00:19:30] Details site selection checklist: layout, organisation, pharmacy, admission and screening protocols, patient care procedures, laboratory capacity, operational stability, staffing rotation. Explains non placebo design; baseline site case fatality rates as comparator; need diagnostics. Highlights limited basic clinical data; scarce liver and renal tests; 23,000 cases; routine antimalarials and antibiotics; blood draw risks; perceptions tests unnecessary. [00:25:58] End of interview.
This content summary was created from the interview transcript in November 2025 using M365 Copilot Chat. The content summary was then reviewed against the audio by the cataloguer.</p><p></p>

Professor Piero Olliaro: interview 1 and transcripts

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