Geneva: Efforts to strengthen protection against the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are progressing, with two additional vaccine candidates recommended for inclusion in an ongoing clinical trial.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended evaluating ChAdOx1, developed by the University of Oxford in collaboration with the Serum Institute of India, and Moderna’s mRNA-1469 vaccine. Both candidates are specifically designed to target the Bundibugyo virus, which is responsible for the current outbreak. Their inclusion will follow the required national approvals.
The vaccines will join the Tumaini clinical trial, led by the DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research with support from international research and health organisations. The study uses a ring-vaccination approach, targeting individuals who have been in contact with confirmed cases.
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Meanwhile, treatment research is also advancing through the WHO-sponsored PARTNERS trial, which is assessing the potential of the monoclonal antibody MBP134, the antiviral remdesivir and their combination to improve patient survival. Another treatment candidate, maftivimab, is also expected to enter the study.
“The fact that these vaccines are ready to enter clinical trials is a testament to the power of science and partnership,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “I thank the scientists, health workers and partners in the DRC and around the world who have brought us to this point, and especially the people taking part in the trial. Their participation will generate vital evidence that could help save lives. Vaccines alone will not end this outbreak, but they could become a powerful new tool for bringing it under control.”
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