WHO Launches Clinical Trial for Ebola Vaccine in DRC
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially kicked off the first clinical trial for an Ebola vaccine amid the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In a social media update on Friday, WHO’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, revealed that participants are receiving the Ervebo vaccine in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, which is the epicenter of the crisis.
Ervebo, which has been approved for the more commonly known Zaire strain, will undergo a comprehensive human trial to determine its effectiveness against the Bundibugyo strain responsible for this epidemic.
“This trial will provide insights into whether any vaccine candidates for the Bundibugyo virus are effective,” Dr. Tedros noted in a post.
He also emphasized WHO’s commitment to support this initiative led by the DRC in the pursuit of solutions to save lives.
The DRC declared its 17th and most severe Ebola outbreak in May, with over 9,700 reported cases and more than 4,600 fatalities since then.
In light of the severity, WHO has classified it as a public health emergency of international concern, marking its second-highest alert level.
This particular outbreak has now spread to four countries across eastern, central, and western Africa, making it the most geographically widespread Ebola outbreak in the continent’s history.
Vaccines in Development
The Tumaini trial aims to test the safety, effectiveness, and immunogenicity of various vaccines under a single framework.
This trial will adopt a ring vaccination strategy, immunizing individuals identified as being at a high risk of infection.
It will focus on two candidate vaccines specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain, which are still progressing through earlier phases of clinical trials.
One of the candidates is a ChAdOx1 adenoviral vector vaccine from the University of Oxford, while the other, an mRNA-based vaccine, is being developed by Moderna in the US.
Both vaccines have received support from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and are anticipated to enter the trial phase “soon,” as per a CEPI statement.
This trial will also include pregnant women and children aged 12 and older, aiming to gather crucial data for populations that are often left out of such studies.
Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, WHO’s emergencies director, mentioned that the trial is designed to provide the robust evidence needed to assess whether the vaccines can effectively protect those at risk.
