Oxford university launches first human trial of Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine

The University of Oxford has begun a phase‑1 clinical trial of a vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. The study, called BD‑Ebov, will enroll 50 healthy adults aged 18‑55 in Oxford to assess safety and immune response. The vaccine uses the ChAdOx1 chimpanzee‑adenovirus vector that was also employed for the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID‑19 shot.

Serum Institute of India has produced and stockpiled about 620,000 doses of the candidate, supplying 4,000 investigational doses for the trial. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public‑health emergency of international concern 57 days earlier.

The outbreak, centred in the Democratic Republic of Congo and spreading to neighboring Uganda, has resulted in roughly 1,900 confirmed cases and more than 700 deaths. In parallel, the DRC has launched a separate trial of Gilead’s experimental antiviral obeldesivir, enrolling up to 1,000 high‑risk contacts for post‑exposure prophylaxis. Funding and support come from CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and African health agencies.

If successful, the vaccine could provide a rapid, affordable tool for future Ebola outbreaks, while the antiviral trial aims to reduce mortality among exposed individuals.