Health Canada authorizes mRNA vaccine trial for Ebola virus causing huge outbreak in Congo
Health Canada has authorized a Phase 1 clinical trial for a Moderna mRNA vaccine candidate targeting the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. This move follows a severe outbreak in Congo and aims to establish safety and dosing standards for the vaccine.
Why it matters
The trial represents a critical step in addressing a rare but deadly virus that currently lacks approved medical countermeasures.
Federal officials announced the recent authorization of Moderna’s mRNA shot on Tuesday, making Canada just the second country to launch a Phase 1 clinical trial for a Bundibugyo vaccine candidate after the U.K.
This form of the virus was long considered rare and has no approved vaccines or treatments, thwarting efforts to clamp down on what is already the second-deadliest Ebola outbreak on record.
More than 1,700 known deaths and 3,800 infections have been recorded since mid-May as health-care teams in remote, conflict-filled areas of Congo are struggling to get the fast-spreading outbreak under control.
Moderna's trial is being conducted at three sites in Canada — Halifax and Truro in Nova Scotia, and in Toronto — and is expected to enroll roughly 80 participants. The vaccine uses the same mRNA technology that was deployed for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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