Addressing bottlenecks in Lassa fever treatment: overcoming the ribavirin parenteral formulation challenge.

Abstract

Ribavirin ampoule formulation remains a major challenge in managing Lassa fever disease. Lassa fever is an endemic viral hemorrhagic fever in the West Africa subregion, which has high-dose ribavirin as the standard of care. The high-dose therapy required makes the 200 mg/ml ampoule dosing of ribavirin a daunting task to administer, especially during disease outbreaks. This commentary highlights the challenges and makes a passionate call for vial dosage adjustment to fit the high-dose requirement of Lassa fever disease.