NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA / RankWire.AI / – Moderna has launched a Phase 1 clinical trial of an experimental vaccine targeting Bundibugyo ebolavirus in Canada. The first participant received the mRNA-1469 vaccine on August 3 at a site in Truro, Nova Scotia. This trial coincides with ongoing virus spread across several provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which the World Health Organization has designated as a public health emergency of international concern.
The trial will be conducted at three locations in Canada and involve approximately 80 healthy adults. Researchers aim to evaluate the vaccine’s safety, tolerability, and capacity to induce an immune response. Since Phase 1 studies primarily focus on early safety data, this trial will not determine the vaccine’s effectiveness in preventing infection. The WHO has reported 3,605 confirmed cases and 1,587 deaths in DR Congo through July 30, with at least 651 recoveries by that date. Updated figures provided by CEPI on August 4 indicate that infections have surpassed 3,800 and deaths are over 1,700, with cases spanning 49 health zones in Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, and Tshopo provinces. Thirty-three zones have reported recent infections, with Ituri accounting for 88% of confirmed cases.
Vaccine Shortage Highlighted by Outbreak
On May 17, WHO declared the outbreak an international public health emergency. This marks DR Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak since scientists identified the virus in 1976, with the current epidemic caused by the Bundibugyo species, which previously led to outbreaks in Uganda and DR Congo. Currently, there is no approved vaccine or targeted treatment for this particular Ebola strain, as licensed vaccines focus on Zaire ebolavirus, a different virus within the same family.
Bundibugyo ebolavirus transmits through direct contact with infected blood, body fluids, organs, or contaminated materials. Public health officials have ramped up efforts in laboratory testing, contact tracing, clinical care, and infection prevention. By July 30, they had identified 17,863 contacts for monitoring, and WHO reported 151 confirmed infections among health workers, including 44 deaths. Ongoing conflict, displacement, and attacks on health infrastructure have hindered response efforts in several affected regions.
New Vaccines Undergoing Testing
Following Moderna’s efforts, the University of Oxford also initiated a Phase 1 trial, vaccinating their first volunteer on July 24 with a candidate based on the ChAdOx1 platform. The Serum Institute of India produced approximately 620,000 stockpiled doses of the Oxford vaccine and supplied 4,000 investigational doses for clinical testing. Both programs are supported by CEPI as part of its Bundibugyo vaccine development efforts.
Moderna’s mRNA-1469 candidate employs the same technology platform as its COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, CEPI backs two other candidates based on recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus technology—one developed by IAVI, with Hilleman Laboratories leading manufacturing, and another by Public Health Vaccines. None of these candidates have received regulatory approval for public use. WHO emphasizes that surveillance, rapid diagnosis, patient care, safe burials, and community engagement remain crucial to managing the outbreak.