CEPI grants $62 million to accelerate Ebola vaccine development for DRC and Uganda

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) announced emergency funding of about $61.8 million for three Ebola vaccine developers. Moderna will receive up to $50 million for an mRNA‑based candidate, the University of Oxford with the Serum Institute of India will get up to $8.6 million for a ChAdOx1‑based vaccine, and nonprofit IAVI will obtain up to $3.2 million for an rVSV‑based candidate. The financing is aimed at fast‑tracking pre‑clinical work, Phase 1 trials and manufacturing to compress timelines amid the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, which the WHO and Africa CDC have declared a major public‑health emergency. Over 900 suspected cases and more than 220 suspected deaths have been reported, making it the third‑largest filovirus outbreak on record. No licensed vaccine exists for this strain, so the rapid development effort is critical to contain the epidemic and protect regional health and economic security.