Moderna launches Phase 1 Ebola vaccine trial in Canada
Health Canada has authorized Moderna to begin a Phase 1 clinical trial of its experimental mRNA‑1469 vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. The first volunteer was dosed on Monday in Truro, Nova Scotia, and the trial will enroll about 80 healthy adults at three Canadian sites – Truro, Halifax and Toronto – to assess safety, dosage, side‑effects and immune response.
The outbreak of Bundibugyo ebolavirus in the Democratic Republic of Congo has produced 3,748 confirmed cases and 1,657 deaths as of Aug 1, according to U.S. CDC data, prompting the World Health Organization and Africa CDC to declare a public‑health emergency. The United Kingdom has also started a parallel trial of an Oxford‑developed vaccine.
The work is supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which has pledged up to $50 million for early testing and manufacturing. Moderna has said it will make at least 500,000 doses available to low‑ and middle‑income countries at access pricing if the vaccine receives approval.
Entities: Bundibugyo ebolavirus · Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations · Democratic Republic of Congo · Hamilton Bennett · Health Canada · Moderna · mRNA-1469
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Moderna plans to make at least 500,000 doses available to low‑ and middle‑income countries at access pricing if the vaccine is approved. (Moderna)
- [● 5 SOURCES] CEPI has pledged up to $50 million to fund the vaccine’s early testing and manufacturing. (CEPI)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Moderna began its first human trial of an experimental vaccine against Bundibugyo ebolavirus. (Moderna)
- [● 10 SOURCES] Health Canada cleared the early‑stage study. (Health Canada)
- [● 10 SOURCES] The World Health Organization and Africa CDC have declared the outbreak a public‑health emergency. (WHO & Africa CDC)
- [● 10 SOURCES] The trial will enroll about 80 healthy adults at three sites in Canada. (Moderna/Health Canada)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The vaccine candidate is called mRNA-1469. (Moderna)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has 3,748 confirmed cases and 1,657 deaths as of Aug 1, according to U.S. CDC data. (U.S. CDC)