The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has pledged $61.8 million to accelerate the development of three experimental vaccine candidates targeting the Ebola strain currently spreading in central Africa. These candidates include one from IAVI, another from Moderna Inc., and a third from the University of Oxford, which will have its production handled by the Serum Institute of India. This funding effort aims to address the urgent need for a vaccine against this particular Ebola species, which currently lacks an approved inoculation.
Moderna's mRNA vaccine candidate, backed by up to $50 million from CEPI, is being developed to counter the Bundibugyo virus species driving the recent outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The company, known for its COVID mRNA vaccine, is working to move this candidate into early human trials, specifically a Phase 1 clinical trial, within months, pending regulatory approvals. CEPI’s funding for Moderna will cover preclinical testing and the Phase 1 trial, and also enable the manufacturing of doses in parallel to allow rapid progression to larger Phase 2/3 trials if initial data are promising.
For IAVI, CEPI has allocated up to $3.2 million to prepare a master virus seed stock, crucial for vaccine manufacturing. The University of Oxford's candidate, leveraging a modified chimpanzee adenovirus (ChAdOx platform), has been promised up to $8.6 million by CEPI for preclinical testing, vaccine development, and the manufacturing of clinical-grade doses. Clinical trials for Oxford's shot could commence in two to three months, with animal studies already underway. All three candidates utilize different proven technologies, with IAVI's employing a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus as a vector. CEPI mobilized resources quickly following the outbreak announcement in mid-May, emphasizing the goal of securing multiple vaccine options to increase the chances of success.
