CEPI Commits $60 Million to Accelerate Bundibugyo Ebola Vaccines

Overview

• CEPI announced Tuesday that it will allocate about $60 million, including up to $50 million for Moderna and smaller awards for University of Oxford/Serum Institute and IAVI, to push Bundibugyo (BDBV) vaccine candidates toward clinical trials.
• No vaccine or treatment is approved for the Bundibugyo strain, so developers say the cash will fund preclinical work, first-in-human studies and initial dose manufacturing to prepare for larger trials in Africa.
• Moderna says its mRNA candidate has shown promising preclinical results and could enter clinical testing within months if studies proceed as planned, while Oxford/Serum and IAVI are pursuing viral-vector and Ervebo-like approaches respectively.
• Health officials warn that vaccine development timelines are uncertain and that security, access and trial logistics in eastern DRC and nearby Uganda will complicate conducting studies and delivering doses to affected communities.
• Global coordination and financing are expanding: Gavi has pledged up to $50 million for response and access planning and the Pandemic Fund set aside funds, and U.S. officials have signaled renewed engagement with Gavi to support outbreak response and vaccine procurement.