A vaccine trial is under way as part of efforts to tackle the Bundibugyo ebolavirus.
Oxford Vaccine Group has launched a Phase 1 clinical trial in response to the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring Uganda.
The trial is taking place in Oxford and will evaluate the safety and immune response of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine in 50 healthy adults aged 18 to 55.
Professor Teresa Lambe OBE, Calleva Head of Immunology at the Oxford Vaccine Group and Pandemic Sciences Institute, said: "The ongoing Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak continues to devastate affected communities, underlining the urgent need for effective vaccines and treatments.
"Our team has worked tirelessly with global partners to develop a candidate ChAdOx BDBV vaccine, demonstrating how collaborative partnerships can enable rapid response in the face of rapidly evolving outbreaks.
"This milestone comes after only 57 days since the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern."
The vaccine was developed by scientists at the University of Oxford’s Oxford Vaccine Group and Pandemic Sciences Institute.
It uses the same viral vector platform as the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, which is estimated to have saved more than six million lives in its first year.
The trial is backed by funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), as part of an $8.6 million programme to advance the development of Bundibugyo-targeted vaccines.
Serum Institute of India (SII) has manufactured and stockpiled around 620,000 doses of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine candidate in two weeks for potential future use, and has supplied 4,000 investigational doses for this Phase 1 trial.
Professor Katrina Pollock, MRC Clinician Scientist in Vaccinology and chief investigator at the Oxford Vaccine Group, said: "Launching this first-in-human study of a Bundibugyo ebolavirus vaccine is an important milestone for the programme and the culmination of a significant effort by teams across vaccine development, manufacturing and clinical testing.
"We are focused on delivering a rigorous Phase 1 trial, to the highest standard of care, to evaluate the safety, tolerability and immune responses generated by the vaccine."
Preparations are also underway for further clinical studies with partners in Uganda, subject to regulatory approval.
If Phase 1 trials are successful, CEPI plans to work with the University of Oxford and SII to support late-stage trials to generate data for emergency use authorisation or licensure.
Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, said: "Today’s announcement is an important step in the global effort to accelerate safe and effective tools against Bundibugyo ebolavirus."
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