NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA / RankWire.AI / – Moderna has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial for an experimental vaccine targeting Bundibugyo ebolavirus in Canada. The first participant received the mRNA-1469 vaccine on August 3 at a facility in Truro, Nova Scotia. This development occurs as the virus persists in spreading across multiple provinces within the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The World Health Organization has classified the situation as a public health emergency of international concern.
Enrolling approximately 80 healthy adults, the study will be conducted across three Canadian locations. Its primary goal is to evaluate the vaccine’s safety profile, tolerability, and capacity to elicit an immune response. However, it will not determine if the vaccine prevents infection, since Phase 1 trials focus on initial safety data. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations has pledged up to $50 million to fund preclinical studies, the trial itself, and the production of additional research doses.
WHO reported a total of 3,605 confirmed cases and 1,587 deaths in DR Congo as of July 30. At that time, at least 651 individuals had recovered. Updated statistics from CEPI on August 4 indicated that infections exceeded 3,800 and fatalities surpassed 1,700. The cases have been identified in 49 health zones across Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, and Tshopo provinces. Thirty-three zones reported recent infections, with Ituri accounting for 88% of confirmed cases.
Outbreak Highlights Vaccine Shortfall
The WHO declared the outbreak an international public health emergency on May 17. It marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in DR Congo since the virus was first identified in 1976. The current epidemic involves the Bundibugyo strain, which previously caused outbreaks in Uganda and DR Congo. Presently, no approved vaccine or targeted treatment exists for this Ebola species. Existing licensed Ebola vaccines are designed against Zaire ebolavirus, a different member of the virus family.
Bundibugyo ebolavirus transmission occurs through direct contact with infected blood, bodily fluids, organs, or contaminated materials. Public health teams have intensified laboratory testing, contact tracing, clinical care, and infection prevention efforts. By July 30, officials had identified 17,863 contacts for monitoring. WHO also reported 151 confirmed infections among healthcare workers, including 44 deaths. Ongoing conflict, displacement, and attacks on health facilities have complicated access and response efforts in several affected regions.
Multiple Vaccines Enter the Testing Phase
Following Moderna’s efforts, the University of Oxford has also launched a separate Phase 1 Ebola vaccine trial. The Oxford team vaccinated their first volunteer on July 24 with a candidate based on the ChAdOx1 platform. The Serum Institute of India produced the Oxford vaccine, stockpiling around 620,000 doses, and supplied 4,000 investigational doses for clinical evaluation. Both programs are supported by CEPI as part of its Bundibugyo vaccine development portfolio.
Moderna’s mRNA-1469 utilizes the same underlying technology platform as its COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, CEPI funds two candidates based on recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus technology. One was developed by IAVI, with manufacturing led by Hilleman Laboratories, while the other was created by Public Health Vaccines. Currently, none of these candidates has received regulatory approval for widespread use. WHO emphasizes that surveillance, rapid diagnosis, patient care, safe burial practices, and community engagement remain essential strategies for controlling the outbreak.