A Canadian pharmaceutical company on Wednesday said it may take a while before it is able to develop a new batch of the Ebola experimental drug for potential distribution to West Africa.

Tekmira's CEO Mark Murray said during an earnings call that the company has not yet devised an appropriate framework to sustain the use of the drug in Africa. Murray added that they cannot give any certainty whether a framework will even be established.

Like Us on Facebook

During the call, analysts asked Murray whether a supply of the drug would be distributed to West Africa where the outbreak was still spreading, but the CEO refused to give a direct answer.

"I have no answers to your questions," Murray said. "We will update you as we learn and are able to confirm that there are pathways going forward."

The pharmaceutical company, Tekmira, is one of several pharmaceuticals developing an anti-Ebola drug.

Tekmira's production of the drug has reached a stalemate during the past weeks when WHO debated whether it was ethical to treat people using the unapproved drugs.

However, during a meeting between WHO and several ethics expert, it had been decided that during extreme cases with no other alternatives on hand, even an untested drug can be utilized for a chance of potentially saving the lives of those who were infected with the virus.

In July 3, the United States FDA suspended Tekmira's human trials following safety concerns over testing potentially unsafe drugs on healthy volunteers, but was later revoked when the FDA assessed the possible reward if the drug was proven to be successful.

The outbreak has already taken more than 1,000 lives in West Africa, mostly in the regions of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

TagsWest Africa, experimental drug, tekmira