Urgent Push Against Bundibugyo Ebola
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations is urgently accelerating development of three vaccine candidates against Bundibugyo ebolavirus as an outbreak spreads rapidly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
CEPI said Monday it will commit a little over 60 million dollars to support vaccine development, manufacturing preparation and potential clinical trials aimed at helping contain the outbreak.
Moderna Receives Largest Funding Package
CEPI is committing up to 50 million dollars to Moderna for preclinical development and Phase 1 clinical testing of its mRNA-based Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine candidate.
The funding will also allow Moderna to expand manufacturing readiness and prepare for large-scale Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials if the vaccine successfully advances through early testing.
mRNA Platform Moves Into Ebola Response
Moderna plans to use the same mRNA vaccine platform that enabled the rapid development of its COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic.
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said the company believes its mRNA technology can play an important role in responding quickly to emerging infectious disease threats. He said Moderna will move with urgency and scientific rigor to support the response.
Two Other Vaccine Candidates Receive Support
CEPI will also provide 3.2 million dollars to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, which is developing a vaccine using the same technology behind Merck’s approved Ebola vaccine, Ervebo.
Ervebo targets the more common Zaire ebolavirus strain, while the new candidate would be directed at Bundibugyo ebolavirus.
Oxford And Serum Institute Join Effort
CEPI is also committing 8.6 million dollars to the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India.
Their vaccine candidate uses an adenovirus-based platform, similar to the approach used for Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic. The goal is to move quickly while adapting proven vaccine technologies to the Bundibugyo strain.
No Licensed Vaccine For This Strain
There are currently two licensed Ebola vaccines: Merck’s Ervebo and Johnson & Johnson’s Zabdeno/Mvabea.
Both target the Zaire strain, which has caused most major Ebola outbreaks. The current outbreak is only the third known outbreak driven by the Bundibugyo strain, and there are no licensed vaccines or therapeutics specifically approved against it.
Outbreak Response Faces Major Obstacles
The lack of medical countermeasures is one of the biggest challenges facing health officials in the DRC.
Detection of the outbreak was delayed, allowing the virus to spread before a full response could be mounted. The outbreak is also occurring in an area affected by armed conflict, high population mobility and major humanitarian needs.
Cases And Deaths Continue To Rise
As of Friday, the World Health Organization had reported 1,041 cases, including 135 confirmed and 906 suspected infections.
The outbreak has also caused 241 deaths, including 18 confirmed and 223 suspected deaths. The scale of the outbreak has increased pressure on global health groups to move faster.
A Race To Build Protection
CEPI’s funding is designed to shorten the timeline for vaccine development while preparing for larger trials if early candidates prove safe and promising.
For the DRC, the effort comes at a critical moment. With no approved vaccine, no approved treatment and an outbreak spreading in a difficult operating environment, rapid vaccine development could become an essential tool in controlling the Bundibugyo Ebola threat.
