Mapp Biopharmaceutical
A US-based biopharmaceutical company known for developing plant-derived monoclonal antibodies against filoviruses, including ZMapp for Zaire Ebola and MBP134 for pan-Ebola coverage including Bundibugyo.
Last refreshed: 24 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Is Mapp Biopharmaceutical's newer antibody treatment better than ZMapp for current Ebola outbreaks?
Timeline for Mapp Biopharmaceutical
Developed MBP134, the monoclonal antibody cocktail under trial for Bundibugyo Ebola
Pandemics and Biosecurity: Ebola drug trial awaits DRC, Uganda nod- What is Mapp Biopharmaceutical and why is it involved in the Ebola outbreak?
- Mapp Biopharmaceutical is a small US biotech that developed ZMapp, used in the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak, and MBP134, the newer antibody treatment under WHO trial in the current Bundibugyo outbreak.Source: WHO / Mapp Biopharmaceutical
- Did ZMapp actually work against Ebola?
- A 2016 randomised controlled trial found a survival benefit with ZMapp in the 2014 West Africa outbreak, but the trial was stopped early and was underpowered to reach definitive statistical conclusions.Source: New England Journal of Medicine (2016)
- How is MBP134 different from ZMapp?
- MBP134 targets multiple Ebola species including Bundibugyo, Zaire, and Sudan ebolaviruses, whereas ZMapp was specific to Zaire ebolavirus. MBP134 also showed 100% protection in animal studies up to eight days post-infection.Source: Mapp Biopharmaceutical / WHO
- How are Mapp Biopharmaceutical's antibodies manufactured?
- Mapp produces its monoclonal antibodies using plant-based expression systems, growing them in tobacco plants at Kentucky BioProcessing, a method designed to enable rapid, scalable production for outbreak response.Source: Mapp Biopharmaceutical
Background
Mapp Biopharmaceutical is the developer of MBP134, the experimental monoclonal antibody cocktail under consideration for a WHO-sponsored trial in the current Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak. The trial, which pairs MBP134 with remdesivir, is awaiting regulatory approval from the DRC and Uganda before dosing begins. Mapp's animal data showed 100% protection with MBP134 given up to eight days post-infection, supporting its selection for the trial.
Mapp Biopharmaceutical is a small, privately held biotechnology company founded in San Diego, California and known for plant-derived and monoclonal antibody therapies for infectious diseases. The company entered public consciousness in the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak when ZMapp, its earlier monoclonal antibody cocktail targeting Zaire ebolavirus, was administered on compassionate-use grounds to several critically ill patients including American aid workers. A randomised controlled trial published in 2016 found a survival advantage with ZMapp, though the trial was underpowered. MBP134 is the successor treatment, broadened to cover multiple Ebola species.
Mapp occupies a niche in the biodefence and neglected-disease space that larger pharmaceutical companies have historically avoided because commercial returns are limited. Its work on plant-expressed antibodies (tobacco-derived production via Kentucky BioProcessing) pioneered scalable biological manufacturing for outbreak response. The current WHO trial, if it receives regulatory clearance and demonstrates efficacy, would be the company's most significant clinical validation since the ZMapp compassionate-use episode.