Oxford University has launched the first human clinical trial of a vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, in an effort to accelerate the response to an outbreak spreading across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. The early-stage trial, designated BD-Ebov, will evaluate the safety and immune response of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine in 50 healthy adults aged between 18 and 55 years, at Oxford, the university announced on Monday.
Recruitment of volunteers is already under way, with vaccine administration expected to begin within the coming weeks, subject to regulatory approval.
The vaccine was developed by scientists at the Oxford Vaccine Group and the Pandemic Sciences Institute, using the same viral vector platform employed in the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Oxford in partnership with AstraZeneca. The Serum Institute of India, a partner in the programme, said it produced and stored approximately 620,000 doses of the vaccine candidate in just two weeks, and has supplied 4,000 experimental doses for this initial clinical trial.
In May, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that ChAdOx1 BDBV, alongside another single-dose candidate designated rVSV Bundibugyo — developed by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) — be prioritised for clinical evaluation as part of the response to the current outbreak.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) announced it will invest up to US$8.6 million in an initial phase to support the vaccine’s development.
Preparations are also under way for additional clinical trials in Uganda, subject to regulatory approval, through partnerships that include the Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit.
Should the initial clinical trial produce positive results, CEPI said it would work with Oxford University and the Serum Institute of India to support the advanced-phase studies required to seek emergency use authorisation or full regulatory approval.
Partners also indicated they intend to ensure rapid access to the vaccine at affordable prices in countries affected by the outbreak.
Source: Diário Económico
