Three Ebola vaccines under development amid mounting outbreak fears
As concerns mount over an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, three separate vaccine development programmes are under way at IAVI, Moderna and the University of Oxford, the BBC reports. The programmes aim to provide protection against different Ebola virus species.
BBC AfricaAs concerns mount over the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, three separate vaccine development programmes are advancing in parallel at IAVI, Moderna and the University of Oxford. According to BBC health correspondent Smitha Mundasad, the programmes aim to provide protection against virus species not covered by the single currently approved vaccine, such as Sudan ebolavirus and Bundibugyo ebolavirus.
IAVI's Phase 2 trial of a Sudan-strain candidate is being run in East Africa. Moderna has advanced work on a multivalent candidate built on its mRNA platform, with early clinical data described as 'promising'. Oxford's Jenner Institute Professor Teresa Lambe said the parallel work is intended 'to enter the next outbreak prepared with a broader vaccine portfolio'.
The World Health Organization stressed the importance of early vaccine deployment in outbreak response and is re-evaluating possible distribution scenarios via Gavi procurement channels. The BBC reported that IAVI's Phase 3 trial is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year.
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