Global health organisation CEPI has committed approximately $60 million to Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) and two additional research groups to accelerate the development of vaccines targeting Ebola Bundibugyo, the deadly virus responsible for a growing outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which played a key role in supporting vaccine development during the COVID-19 pandemic, said the funding is intended to speed up efforts to bring potential vaccines into clinical testing.
Vaccines Could Be Ready for Trials Within Months
Speaking to Reuters on Monday, CEPI Chief Executive Richard Hatchett said candidate vaccines against Ebola Bundibugyo (BDBV) could potentially be prepared for human trials within a matter of months.
At present, there are no approved vaccines or treatments specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.
Hatchett said the prospect of having vaccines available on “a not infinitely distant horizon” should encourage discussions around procurement plans and financing mechanisms for future vaccination campaigns.
However, he also warned that vaccine development remains inherently uncertain and noted that the challenging security environment in eastern Congo could complicate clinical trial operations.
Outbreak Continues to Spread in Central Africa
According to figures from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, Congo has reported 282 confirmed Ebola Bundibugyo cases, including 42 deaths, alongside approximately 1,100 suspected infections.
Uganda has also confirmed nine cases, including one fatality.
In response to the escalating situation, international health agencies have designated the outbreak as a public health emergency.
Moderna Receives Majority of Funding Package
CEPI has allocated up to $50 million to support Moderna’s investigational Ebola Bundibugyo vaccine candidate through preclinical research and early-stage clinical development.
The funding package could also help support manufacturing activities and advancement into larger clinical studies if initial trial results prove successful.
“We have worked on Ebola in preclinical models showing great results,” Moderna Chief Executive Stephane Bancel said in a telephone interview.
Bancel said the company’s objective is to develop a vaccine capable of preventing disease while also simplifying administration requirements.
Given the severity of Ebola infections, Moderna is evaluating whether a single-dose or two-dose approach would provide the best balance between effectiveness and practicality.
At this stage, the final dosing strategy has not been determined and will be assessed during Phase 1 clinical trials before any larger studies are launched in Africa.
“Our goal is to move as fast as we can without compromising safety, and to be as helpful as we can,” Bancel said.
Additional Support for Oxford and IAVI Programmes
Beyond Moderna, CEPI announced funding of up to $8.6 million for a vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.
The organisation also committed an initial $3.2 million to support a vaccine programme led by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI).
IAVI’s Bundibugyo vaccine candidate is designed as a single-dose shot and uses the same underlying technology as Merck’s approved Ebola vaccine, Ervebo, which targets the Zaire strain of the virus.
The candidate has already demonstrated survival benefits in animal studies.
Questions Remain Around Clinical Trial Execution
IAVI Chief Executive Mark Feinberg said during a press briefing that it remains unclear which organisations will ultimately take responsibility for organising and conducting clinical trials for the vaccine candidate.
He noted that numerous studies conducted during the 2014–2016 West African Ebola outbreak benefited from support provided by U.S. government agencies and the World Health Organization.
“We understand from the WHO more recently that they won’t be assuming that role in the future,” Feinberg said, adding that further development would require “tens of millions of dollars until we’re in a position to enter the clinic”.
The World Health Organization did not immediately provide clarification regarding its future involvement in sponsoring or conducting vaccine trials.
Oxford Candidate Builds on Proven Vaccine Technology
The University of Oxford’s vaccine candidate, known as ChAdOx1 Bundibugyo, is based on the same platform technology used in the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Hatchett highlighted the speed with which Oxford and Serum Institute were able to respond to a separate outbreak of Rift Valley Fever in Mauritania and Senegal last year, producing trial-ready vaccine doses in approximately six weeks.
That timeline compares favourably with traditional vaccine development programmes, which historically have often required several years.
Ensuring Access Remains the Next Challenge
Hatchett stressed that developing an effective vaccine is only part of the response effort, noting that ensuring adequate access to doses in affected regions will be equally important.
He pointed out that roughly 300,000 doses of Merck’s Ervebo vaccine were required to help contain the Ebola Zaire outbreak in Congo between 2018 and 2020.
Meanwhile, broader international funding efforts continue to expand. Global vaccine alliance Gavi announced on Friday that it would commit up to $50 million to support the Ebola response, while the World Bank’s Pandemic Fund unveiled grants worth up to $220.6 million to strengthen outbreak control measures.
Together, these initiatives are expected to accelerate vaccine development, improve preparedness and support efforts to contain the growing Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak across Central Africa.