HUMAN trials have begun for an investigational ebolavirus vaccine as part of a Phase I clinical trial into the Bundibugyo strain of the disease1.
Over 1,700 people have died from the ebolavirus so far as it continues to spread through the Democratic Republic of Congo in the fastest, and second largest outbreak of the Ebola on record. Cases of the disease have reached over 3,800 in total.
On Tuesday, the first-in-human trial of the Moderna mRNA-1469 vaccine began to assess its safety and tolerability in healthy adult participants, and to evaluate the immune response it generates.
If positive, work will commence to develop the vaccine further with the goal of rolling out at least 500,000 doses to areas and populations affected by the disease.
The trial, which will take place across three sites in Canada and involve 80 voluntary participants, marks a significant forward step in expedited efforts to deal with the ongoing crisis in Congo.
World Health Organization officials declared the epidemic a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17. In the first three months of the outbreak, the disease killed five times as many people as previous outbreaks at the same stage, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Moderna vaccine, which specifically targets the Bundibugyo version of Ebola, is one of four initial vaccine candidates that are being funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovations (CEPI).
The organisation is supporting the acceleration of multiple experimental vaccines to increase the likelihood of developing at least one successful jab as soon as possible and controlling the outbreak.
However, the Congo Ebola crisis has highlighted a critical gap in Ebola vaccine preparedness, according to the Coalition.
Previously, the 2014 to 2016 outbreak of the Zaire strain of Ebola in West Africa resulted in over 11,000 deaths. There are now highly effective licensed vaccines and treatments for this strain of the disease. There are currently no approved vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain.
Dr Richard Hatchett, CEPI’S chief Executive Officer said: “Getting Moderna’s vaccine candidate into a Phase 1 trial this rapidly is a major step forward in in the fight against this deadly outbreak.
“Every day matters and every vaccine candidate in clinical trials gives us another shot at getting a safe, effective vaccine to the people who need it as swiftly as possible.”
References:
1 Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovations, 2026, https://cepi.net/modernas-bundibugyo-ebolavirus-vaccine-candidate-enters-first-human-trial-backed-cepi
Featured Image: Mia B/peopleimages.com on Adobe Stock
Each article is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 License.
