The trial, to be conducted in Oxford University, will assess the safety and immune response of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine in 50 healthy adults between 18–55 years
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India’s Serum Institute will provide doses for the world’s first Phase I clinical trial for a vaccine against the Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV) – being undertaken by the Oxford University’s Oxford Vaccine Group.The BDBV strain is responsible for the ongoing ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Uganda. Over 600 deaths from ebola have been reported in DRC, according to latest reports.The trial will be conducted in Oxford and will assess the safety and immune response of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine in 50 healthy adults between 18–55 years, they said in a joint statement. “Recruitment of volunteers into the study is now underway, where they will then attend screening visits. In the coming weeks, and following regulatory review for trial commencement, participants will then be vaccinated and attend follow-up visits in Oxford,” the note said.Clinical StudiesTo speed up development of the vaccine candidate into clinical evaluation, “Serum Institute of India (SII) has manufactured and stockpiled approximately 620,000 doses of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine candidate in two weeks for potential future use and has supplied 4,000 investigational doses for this Phase I trial,” the note said.The alliance between these two entities goes back to the Covid-19 vaccine.The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is funding the University of Oxford and SII, as part of a $8.6 million programme to advance the development of Bundibugyo vaccines, the note said. The programme builds on CEPI’s strategic partnership with the University of Oxford and SII’s participation in CEPI’s Vaccine Manufacturing Facility Network, it added.Efforts are also underway, subject to regulatory approvals, to conduct clinical studies with partners -including the Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit, it said.“57 days”The said vaccine was developed by scientists at the Oxford Vaccine Group (OVG) and Pandemic Sciences Institute and uses the same viral vector platform as the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, the note explained.Professor Teresa Lambe, Calleva Head of Immunology at the Oxford Vaccine Group and Pandemic Sciences Institute, and the study’s Lead Scientific Investigator, said, “This milestone comes after only 57 days since the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.” Adar Poonawalla, Serum Institute’s Chief Executive added, “During outbreaks, speed, preparedness and global collaboration are essential to advancing vaccine candidates quickly and responsibly.” Dr Nicole Lurie, CEPI Executive Director ( Preparedness and Response), pointed out that the Bundibugyo epidemic is already the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record, as infection numbers are continuing to rise.Emergency UseIf all goes to plan, CEPI expects to work with Oxford University and SII to support late-stage trials to generate data for emergency use authorisation or licensure, it said. The three entities are committed to “enabling rapid, affordable supply of Bundibugyo virus vaccines to affected countries and to the populations that need them,” it added.Earlier this month, the WHO had added the first molecular diagnostic test for the BDBV virus to its Emergency Use Listing (EUL). The test detects the virus by identifying its genetic material in blood samples, helping confirm infection rapidly and accurately, the WHO said. The EUL paves the way for easy adoption in low-resource regions.Published on July 13, 2026
