Coalition commits $60 million to three Ebola vaccine candidates

A global health organization announced Monday that it will provide more than $60 million to accelerate development of three vaccine candidates against Bundibugyo ebolavirus. The organization committed up to $50 million to a U.S.-based company for preclinical studies and Phase 1 testing of an mRNA vaccine.

The same agreement includes support for manufacturing scale-up and later-stage trials if early results are positive. The organization also allocated $3.2 million to another group developing a vaccine that uses the same platform as an existing licensed Ebola vaccine, and $8.6 million to a university and an Indian manufacturer for an adenovirus-based candidate.

Current outbreak status The Bundibugyo strain has caused only two prior outbreaks. No licensed vaccines or treatments exist for it. As of Friday, health authorities recorded 1,041 cases and 241 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Detection of the outbreak was delayed, and transmission is occurring in a conflict-affected region with high population movement.

Officials stated that the lack of medical countermeasures complicates the response. "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," a company executive said in a statement.