Phase I Ebola vaccine trial begins in Uganda amid DRC outbreak
In response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo, Ugandan researchers have started a phase I clinical trial of a candidate vaccine against the Bundibugyo Ebola virus strain, for which no licensed vaccine currently exists. The trial aims to assess the vaccine's safety and immune response in 110 volunteers in Masaka, Uganda.
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Ugandan scientists have commenced a phase I trial of a candidate vaccine targeting the Ebola Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) in Masaka, southern Uganda. This strain of Ebola currently lacks a licensed vaccine or effective treatment, raising urgency amid the ongoing outbreak in eastern DR Congo.
The trial, led by Eugene Rizagira, Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, focuses primarily on evaluating the vaccine’s safety and its ability to trigger an appropriate immune response. Developed at the University of Oxford, this vaccine candidate is distinct from Moderna’s mRNA-based Ebola vaccine under development in the US.
Researchers aim to enroll 110 volunteers, with enrollment expected to conclude by November 2026. Each participant will be followed for 12 months to monitor outcomes.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of Congo plans to begin a full-scale human trial testing the existing Ervebo vaccine, effective against the Zaire strain, for cross-protection against Bundibugyo. This will later include trials of Bundibugyo-specific vaccines under development.