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Moderna begins Phase 1 clinical trial of Ebola vaccine against strain behind DRC outbreak
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Key Points:
- Moderna has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial in Canada for an Ebola vaccine, mRNA-1469, targeting the Bundibugyo strain currently circulating in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
- The vaccine uses the same mRNA technology platform as Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine and aims to assess safety and tolerability in about 80 participants during this phase.
- There are no FDA-approved vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain, which has caused over 3,700 cases and 1,600 deaths in the ongoing DRC outbreak.
- The trial is supported by a collaboration with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which has committed up to $50 million for preclinical and Phase 1 testing.
- Moderna and CEPI emphasize the urgency of developing a vaccine amid the rapidly growing outbreak, which is the second-largest Ebola epidemic in history.
