Washington, Dhu-AlQa'dah 08, 1435, September 03, 2014, SPA -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said Tuesday it awarded a $25 million contract to Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc. to fund the manufacturer of a small amount of experimental Ebola treatment and to speed the development of the drug ZMapp. The new supply would be used in early-stage clinical studies to test the safety and effectiveness of the drug, HHS said. The contract can be expanded to a value of up to about $42 million, HHS said. The pharmaceutical company last month said a limited supply of the drug ZMapp had been used after it provided doses to several people infected in the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa. --SPA 11:53 LOCAL TIME 08:53 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w