A new experimental vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola has been approved for human trials in the United Kingdom, offering fresh hope as the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to spread.
Scientists at the University of Oxford developed the vaccine just eight weeks after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency on May 17, making it the first of four candidate vaccines to enter clinical trials.
The vaccine, known as ChAdOx1 BDBV, will be tested on 50 healthy adults aged between 18 and 55 after receiving approval from the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The latest Ebola outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, has recorded more than 1,900 confirmed cases and over 700 deaths in eastern DRC, where ongoing conflict and mass displacement have complicated efforts to contain the virus.
Unlike the more common Zaire strain of Ebola, there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments specifically for the Bundibugyo virus, making the development of a targeted vaccine a global public health priority.
The Oxford vaccine uses the same viral vector technology employed in the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Researchers said the technology enabled the vaccine to be designed and manufactured rapidly while maintaining standard safety procedures.
Chief investigator of the trial, Dr. Katrina Pollock, said the study was designed to prepare scientists to respond quickly during disease outbreaks.
“We are doing phase one trials of new vaccines all the time, precisely to be ready for exactly this kind of outbreak,” she said.
Participants in the study will be monitored for one year to assess the vaccine’s safety and immune response, while researchers are also preparing for future clinical trials in Uganda.
The vaccine has already been tested successfully in mice and macaque monkeys, while about 620,000 doses have been manufactured and stockpiled by the Serum Institute of India for potential emergency use if proven effective.
Researchers stressed that although the vaccine is based on the same platform as the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, which was linked to very rare blood clotting events, the benefits are expected to outweigh the risks given the high fatality rate associated with Ebola.
Three other vaccine candidates, including one developed by Moderna using mRNA technology, are also under development for the Bundibugyo strain.
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