Moderna has secured a $50 million investment from global health organization Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to support the development and initial clinical testing of an experimental vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is blamed for the ongoing outbreak in Africa.

CEPI was among the early investors to develop a COVID-19 jab, Reuters noted.

Reuters has more:

Richard Hatchett, head of CEPI, told Reuters on Monday it was possible to get Ebola Bundibugyo (BDBV) vaccines ready for trials within a couple of months.

There are currently no approved BDBV ​vaccines or treatments.

Hatchett said the promise of vaccines on “a not infinitely distant horizon” should help to start conversations about who would buy ​them and fund any roll-out.

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But he cautioned, however, that vaccine development can be unpredictable and the challenging security situation ⁠in eastern Congo would make trials complex.

There have been 282 confirmed cases in Congo, including 42 deaths, and around 1,100 suspected cases, according ​to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

In total, CEPI is giving approximately $60 million to three groups (Moderna, IAVI, and University of Oxford / Serum Institute of India).

“CEPI has committed up to US$50 million for preclinical testing and Phase 1 clinical trials. CEPI will support simultaneous manufacturing of doses to enable large-scale Phase 2/3 trials to begin immediately if Phase 1 data supports progression,” CEPI stated regarding Moderna.

“This candidate uses the same fast, flexible, scalable mRNA technology validated during COVID-19 and builds upon Moderna’s existing R&D on related Ebola viruses. The collaboration leverages CEPI’s existing strategic partnership with Moderna,” it continued.

“At Moderna, we believe our mRNA platform can play an important role in responding rapidly to emerging infectious disease threats. We are proud to expand our strategic partnership with CEPI to advance a potential vaccine against Bundibugyo ebolavirus, leveraging our established technology and experience in related filoviruses. We will move with urgency and scientific rigor to support the response and help bring a potential vaccine closer to the communities that need it most,” said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna.

The Hill noted:

In addition to Moderna, CEPI said it will invest nearly $12 million between two other vaccine candidates.

CEP said it will provide up to $3.2 million for preparations necessary to generate the starting material for a vaccine from the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI).

The IAVI candidate uses the same technology as Merck’s vaccine Ervebo, which is already approved and WHO-prequalified against the Zaire strain of Ebola that caused the massive 2013 epidemic in West Africa.

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CEPI is also investing up to $8.6 million to fund preclinical testing and other development activities to rapidly prepare for Phase 1 trials of an Ebola vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.

 

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