The University of Oxford has started the first human clinical trial of a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV), a strain responsible for the current Ebola outbreak in parts of Central Africa.
Known as the BD-Ebov study, the Phase I trial will evaluate the safety and immune response of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine in 50 healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 55 years. Participant recruitment is underway in Oxford, with vaccinations expected to begin after regulatory clearance, followed by scheduled monitoring visits. The trial represents the first clinical evaluation of a vaccine specifically developed for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.
The vaccine was developed by researchers at Oxford’s Oxford Vaccine Group and Pandemic Sciences Institute using the same chimpanzee adenovirus vector platform that was employed in the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. According to the research team, development progressed rapidly in response to the outbreak declared earlier this year.
To support the clinical programme, the Serum Institute of India has produced approximately 620,000 doses of the vaccine candidate for potential future use and supplied 4,000 investigational doses for the Phase I study. The project is funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) under an $8.6 million programme supporting the development of vaccines against the Bundibugyo virus.
Oxford researchers said the study is intended to establish the vaccine’s safety profile and determine whether it generates an immune response strong enough to justify larger clinical trials. Preparations are also being made for additional studies with research partners in Uganda, subject to regulatory approvals.
Health officials involved in the programme described the launch of the trial as an important milestone in expanding the limited range of medical tools available against Bundibugyo ebolavirus, a species for which no licensed vaccine currently exists. If early-stage results are positive, the programme could progress to later-stage trials aimed at generating evidence for emergency use authorisation or full regulatory approval.
Source: Serum Institute Of India. Press Release – World’s first Phase I Bundibugyo ebolavirus vaccine trial launched by Oxford Vaccine Group
