Democratic Republic of Congo Launches Clinical Trial for Ebola Vaccine

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo launched a clinical trial on Friday to test whether existing and experimental vaccines can protect against the lethal Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.

The trial, named Tumaini, began in Bunia, the capital of the northeastern Ituri province, which serves as the epicentre of the outbreak. The epidemic has surpassed 9,700 cases and resulted in more than 4,600 deaths.

No approved vaccines or treatments previously existed for the Bundibugyo species of Ebola. The outbreak has spread across four countries in eastern, central and western Africa, prompting international health concerns.

“Science gives us hope. Today, in Bunia DRC, the first participants were vaccinated in a new Ebola vaccine trial called Tumaini, which means 'hope' in Swahili,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organisation.

The trial will initially test the Ervebo vaccine, which is licensed for the more common Zaire strain of Ebola. Researchers aim to determine if the vaccine provides cross-protection against the Bundibugyo strain.

The study employs an adaptive platform design to evaluate multiple vaccine candidates under a single framework. It utilizes a ring vaccination strategy, focusing immunization efforts on individuals who have had close contact with confirmed cases.

“This trial will help us understand whether any of the vaccine candidates designed for Bundibugyo virus work,” Ghebreyesus said.

The trial is also expected to incorporate two experimental vaccines developed specifically for the Bundibugyo virus. One candidate relies on messenger RNA technology from Moderna, while the other is an adenoviral vector jab developed by the University of Oxford.

Both experimental candidates received funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Officials stated that these vaccines are expected to enter the ongoing trial shortly.

The study will include pregnant women and children aged 12 years and older. Clinical trials frequently exclude these demographic groups, making the trial data critical for broader public health protection.

The Congolese Ministry of Health is providing national leadership, with co-sponsorship from the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale and the University of Antwerp's Global Health Institute. The World Health Organisation and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations are supplying technical advice and operational funding.

Researchers will continue gathering robust evidence on vaccine performance to help curb the epidemic. Unresolved questions remain regarding whether the evaluated vaccines will successfully halt the transmission of the virus.