The University of Oxford has launched the world’s first human trial of a vaccine targeting Bundibugyo ebolavirus, as health authorities seek new tools to contain an outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The early-stage study, known as BD-Ebov, will assess the safety of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine and measure the immune response it produces in 50 healthy adults aged between 18 and 55, Oxford said on Monday.
Recruitment has begun, while the first vaccinations are expected to take place in the coming weeks, subject to regulatory approval.
The vaccine was developed by researchers at the Oxford Vaccine Group and the university’s Pandemic Sciences Institute. It uses the same viral-vector technology that formed the basis of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
The Serum Institute of India, which is partnering with Oxford on the programme, said it manufactured and stockpiled around 620,000 doses of the vaccine candidate within two weeks. It also supplied 4,000 investigational doses for the initial trial.
In May, the World Health Organization recommended prioritising the Oxford candidate for clinical evaluation, alongside a single-dose vaccine known as rVSV Bundibugyo, which is being developed by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations said it would initially provide up to $8.6 million to support development of the Oxford vaccine.
Preparations are also under way for additional clinical studies in Uganda, pending regulatory approval. The work will involve the Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s Uganda Research Unit.
Should the initial trial produce positive results, CEPI said it would work with Oxford and the Serum Institute to support larger, late-stage studies required for emergency-use authorisation or full regulatory approval.
The partners said their goal was to ensure that affected countries could rapidly access affordable supplies of the vaccine.