First Human Testing Begins for Bundibugyo Ebola Vaccine

The world’s first clinical trial of a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola has begun, marking a milestone in efforts to contain an outbreak that has killed more than 700 people in central Africa. 

The early-stage trial will enroll 50 healthy adults to assess the vaccine’s safety and immune response. The Serum Institute of India said it has already manufactured and stockpiled about 620,000 doses of the experimental shot in anticipation of later-stage trials and potential emergency use if it proves effective. It’s supplied 4,000 doses for



the phase-1 study, the company said.

The vaccine uses the same chimpanzee adenovirus platform as the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 shot and was developed with funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. 

The trial is beginning 57 days after the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda a public health emergency of international concern, underscoring how advances in vaccine technology have compressed development timelines since the pandemic.