Published on: 2026-11-05
Source: United Nations
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November 4, 2026 Healthcare
Expert groups established by the World Health Organization (WHO) have recommended including two new vaccines developed to fight Ebola in ongoing clinical trials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This is the first time vaccines specifically created to protect against the Bundibugyo virus – the cause of the current outbreak – will be tested directly in field conditions.
This concerns the ChAdOx1 vaccine, developed by Oxford University in collaboration with the Indian Serum Institute, and Moderna’s mRNA-1469. This week, the independent WHO advisory group on vaccine candidate prioritization recommended both vaccines for further clinical evaluation based on existing preclinical and early clinical data.
“The readiness of these vaccines to move into the clinical trial phase is a testament to the strength of science and international partnership,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “I thank the scientists, healthcare workers, and partners in the DRC and around the world who helped reach this stage, and especially the study participants.”
During the trials within a single protocol, several vaccine candidates will be evaluated simultaneously. Scientists will use a “ring vaccination” strategy, wherein people who have been in contact with patients with confirmed disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus are included in the study.
This approach is based on the experience gained by WHO and its partners during the Ebola epidemic in West Africa ten years ago. The study conducted then in Guinea confirmed the effectiveness of the Ervebo vaccine. It is Ervebo that became the first vaccine whose trials within the current study are aimed at assessing its effectiveness against the Bundibugyo virus.
Potential treatment methods are undergoing tests in parallel. One of the studies, supported by WHO, is assessing whether the monoclonal antibody MBP134, the antiviral drug remdesivir, or their combination can improve survival rates of patients with the disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus. Additionally, the drug maftivimab will soon be included in the study to evaluate its potential as a therapy. A separate study on post-exposure prophylaxis using the drug odesivir is also being conducted.
The first results of studies on treatment methods are expected in the coming months, while the outcomes of vaccine trials will be summarized at the beginning of 2027.
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