Global health organisation CEPI will provide around $60 million to Moderna and two other partners to speed up the development of vaccines targeting the Ebola Bundibugyo strain, which is currently driving an outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which played a key role in financing vaccine development during the COVID-19 pandemic, said it aims to accelerate early-stage testing of candidate vaccines within months, despite the absence of any approved treatment for the strain.
CEPI head Richard Hatchett said it may be possible to prepare Ebola Bundibugyo (BDBV) vaccine candidates for clinical trials within “a couple of months,” though he cautioned that development timelines remain uncertain, particularly given security constraints in eastern Congo.
“There are currently no approved BDBV vaccines or treatments,” Hatchett said, adding that the prospect of vaccines on “a not infinitely distant horizon” could help advance planning on funding and procurement.
CEPI said up to $50 million will support Moderna’s investigational BDBV vaccine candidate, including preclinical and early clinical development, as well as potential manufacturing scale-up and later-stage trials if early results are positive.
The organisation will also allocate up to $8.6 million to a vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, and an initial $3.2 million to a candidate developed by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI).
IAVI’s single-dose candidate uses a platform similar to Merck’s approved Ebola vaccine Ervebo, which targets the Zaire strain. The organisation said early animal studies have shown survival benefits, but it remains unclear who will lead clinical trials.
CEPI said earlier outbreaks, including West Africa’s 2014-2016 epidemic, demonstrated the need for rapid deployment capacity, but warned that financing and logistics remain major challenges.
Separate funding commitments have also been made by Gavi, which pledged up to $50 million for response efforts, while the World Bank’s Pandemic Fund has announced grants of up to $220.6 million.
Hatchett said ensuring equitable access will be the next major challenge once vaccines are developed, noting that hundreds of thousands of doses were required to control previous Ebola outbreaks in the region.
The announcements come as health agencies continue to respond to the Ebola outbreak in Congo, which has so far recorded 282 confirmed cases and 42 deaths, alongside around 1,100 suspected cases under investigation, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Nine additional cases have also been confirmed in Uganda, including one death, raising concerns about cross-border transmission.
Rescue teams raced on Wednesday to reach dozens of workers believed to be trapped in...
Overnight Russian strikes hit cities across Ukraine, the country's State Emergency Service has said. The capital Kyiv, the Black Sea port of Od...
Iran’s central bank governor has sought to reassure the country’s financial markets, saying Tehran has enough foreign currency reserves...
Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) have gathered in Bishkek for a summit focused on trade, investment and transport as the group marks 25 years since its creation.
U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, with Tehran responding by launching ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases in Jordan in the first direct U.S.-Iran military escalation in weeks.
The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. positions across the region, while Iranian officials said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded at a wedding near Sirik.
Apple is entering a new era as Tim Cook steps down as chief executive after 15 years at the helm, handing the technology giant's leadership to longtime executive John Ternus.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 1st September, covering the latest developments.
Australia has confirmed its first case of H5N1 bird flu in a mammal after the virus was detected in a dead long-nosed fur seal in South Australia, authorities said.
Malaysia is facing a sharp rise in dengue infections, with the capital Kuala Lumpur and the wider Klang Valley emerging as the main centres of concern.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ebola outbreak has surpassed 5,000 confirmed cases, with the death toll reaching 2,378, according to the latest government data.
The Democratic Republic of Congo says the number of confirmed Ebola cases has risen to more than 5,000, with more than 2,300 deaths. Delayed detection, weak surveillance, funding shortages and conflict have allowed the virus to spread faster than in any previous epidemic at the same stage.
Australia warned on Monday (3 August) of a wider spread of H5N1 bird flu after its first confirmed mass mortality event among seabirds killed about 50 greater crested terns off the coast of South Australia, south of Adelaide.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment