The United States government announced that it has decided to provide help in developing a new Ebola drug. According to reports, the new drug is among the five drugs that are being tested against the disease.

The new drug is made by BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical company headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. According to a statement given by the Health and Human Services Department, the new drug, BCX4430, by BioCryst Pharmaceuticals is a small molecule that helps in preventing the deadly virus from reproducing in the human body. Small molecule means that it could be taken as a pill.

The health department stated, "In non-human primate studies, the drug was effective against Ebola virus and Marburg virus, another virus in the filovirus family, indicating that BCX4430 may be useful as a broad spectrum antiviral drug".

The new drug is being developed alongside Mapp Biopharmaceuticals' antibody-based treatment ZMapp and Canadian company Tekmira's drug. According to another report, makers of a medication known as brincidofovir have stopped testing it.

Robin Robinson, who directs HHS's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, said the department has noted progress in development of medical products that can be effective in protecting against the virus.

As per the latest report from the World Health Organization, more than 20,000 people have been infected with the deadly Ebola. Over 10,000 deaths have been recorded, while approximately half and likely more of the patients have died, as per the report by the WHO.

Officials said the deadly disease has been still circulating and there are chances that people infected with the virus could bring the disease to the United States. A person of the country with the disease is listed in fair condition at the United States National Institutes of Health. That American and some other Americans were evacuated from Sierra Leone earlier this month.