NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA / RankWire.AI / – Moderna has launched a Phase 1 clinical trial for an experimental vaccine targeting Bundibugyo ebolavirus in Canada. The trial’s first participant received the mRNA-1469 vaccine on August 3 at a facility in Truro, Nova Scotia. This development occurs amidst the persistent spread of the virus across multiple provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The World Health Organization has designated the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern.
The trial will be conducted at three Canadian locations, aiming to enroll approximately 80 healthy adults. The research team will evaluate the vaccine’s safety profile, tolerability, and its capacity to elicit an immune response. Since Phase 1 trials primarily focus on early safety indicators, they will not determine the vaccine’s effectiveness in preventing infection. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations has committed up to $50 million to support preclinical studies, the trial itself, and the production of additional research doses.
WHO documented 3,605 confirmed cases and 1,587 fatalities in DR Congo up to July 30. By that date, at least 651 patients had recovered. On August 4, CEPI reported updated figures indicating more than 3,800 infections and over 1,700 deaths. Confirmed cases spread across 49 health zones within Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, and Tshopo provinces. Of these, 33 zones reported recent infections, with Ituri accounting for 88% of all confirmed cases.
The outbreak highlights the vaccination gap
On May 17, WHO declared the outbreak an international public health emergency. This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in DR Congo since scientists first identified the virus in 1976. The current epidemic involves the Bundibugyo strain, which previously caused outbreaks in Uganda and DR Congo. At present, no licensed vaccine or specific treatment targets this particular Ebola species. Existing Ebola vaccines are designed against Zaire ebolavirus, a different virus within the same family.
Bundibugyo ebolavirus transmits through direct contact with infected blood, body fluids, organs, or contaminated objects. In response, public health teams have expanded laboratory testing, contact tracing, clinical care, and infection control efforts. As of 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 infrastructure have hampered response efforts and restricted access in several affected regions.
Multiple vaccine candidates progress into early-stage trials
This Moderna initiative follows a separate Phase 1 vaccine trial launched by the University of Oxford, which vaccinated its first volunteer on July 24 with a candidate using the ChAdOx1 platform. The Serum Institute of India, responsible for manufacturing the Oxford vaccine, produced approximately 620,000 doses for stockpiling and supplied 4,000 investigational doses for clinical testing. Both programs are supported by CEPI as part of its efforts to develop a vaccine against Bundibugyo ebolavirus.
Moderna’s mRNA-1469 candidate employs the same technological platform as its COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, CEPI funds two other candidates based on recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus technology: one developed by IAVI and produced by Hilleman Laboratories, and another created by Public Health Vaccines. None of these candidates has yet received regulatory approval for widespread use. According to WHO, maintaining surveillance, rapid diagnosis, patient care, safe burials, and community engagement remain essential components in controlling the outbreak.