DR Congo starts Tumaini trial to test Ebola vaccines against Bundibugyo
The first participant in the DRC-led Tumaini Ebola vaccine trial received Ervebo in Bunia on 23 October, the WHO said. The trial will assess whether Ervebo, licensed against the Zaire strain, offers protection against Bundibugyo, for which no vaccine is approved; two Bundibugyo-specific candidates are expected to join.
Bottom line — The DRC outbreak has caused more than 4,600 deaths, and the trial has not yet shown that any vaccine protects against Bundibugyo.
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The AFP reports more than 9,700 cases and 4,600 deaths; CEPI gives 9,552 confirmed cases and 4,602 deaths as of 21 October.
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Tumaini uses ring vaccination, targeting contacts considered at high risk, and can assess several candidates within one trial framework, CEPI says.
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The two planned candidates are being developed by Oxford and Moderna, with CEPI funding; the Oxford vaccine is being developed with the Serum Institute of India, CEPI says.
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The trial will include pregnant women and participants aged 12 and older, according to AFP; CEPI says children from one year old can receive Ervebo in the study.
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The Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale and the University of Antwerp co-lead and co-sponsor the trial, according to the Institute of Tropical Medicine.