Moderna has launched its phase 1 clinical trial of its Bundibugyo Ebola virus vaccine.
The first-in-human trial is being conducted on 80 healthy volunteers across three sites in Canada, according to an Aug. 3 Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations news release. The trial testing Moderna’s mRNA-1469 vaccine will evaluate the immune response generated.
This is one of four initial Bundibugyo vaccine candidates funded by CEPI in an attempt to increase the likelihood of developing at least one safe and effective vaccine for the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. CEPI said it has committed up to $50 million to support preclinical testing and phase 1 clinical trials and is supporting two rVSV-based candidates by Hilleman Laboratories and Public Health Vaccines, as well as a ChAdOx viral-vector platform candidate from the University of Oxford, which is also currently undergoing phase 1 testing.
If Moderna’s vaccine is licensed, it has agreed to make available a minimum of 500,000 doses for timely supply to low- and middle-income countries under access pricing, the release said.
Here are four other Ebola updates.
1. The World Health Organization-sponsored treatment trials, in partnership with medical charities the Alliance for International Medical Action and Doctors Without Borders, are now operating in three clinical management facilities in Ituri province, WHO leaders said in an Aug. 4 press conference. More than 50 confirmed Ebola patients have been enrolled and randomly assigned to experimental treatment options. A separate study led by Congo’s National Institute for Biomedical Research has enrolled more than 25 high-risk contacts in Ituri and is testing whether a 10-day course of Obeldesivir, an oral antiviral drug, can prevent disease after exposure.
2. The Ebola outbreak is becoming deadlier, climbing from 31% death rate at the end of June to 45.1%, as of Aug. 3.
3. As of Aug. 3, Congo has reported 3,874 confirmed cases, and 1,751 confirmed deaths. To date, 749 people have recovered from the infection and the country has a contact tracing rate of 78.4%. The outbreak has impacted five provinces and 49 health zones. Ituri remains the most impacted province, accounting for 88% of all confirmed cases and 82.6% of reported deaths.
4. The Ebola outbreak is now believed to have started in January, about four months before it was detected and officially declared, Science reported July 30.
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