Egyptian group developing Ebola vaccine
An Egyptian pharmaceutical firm is developing a potential vaccine against the deadly Ebola strain raging in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), it announced Thursday.
An Egyptian pharmaceutical company, Minapharm, is developing a potential Ebola vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain, which is spreading rapidly in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The company will receive up to $16.5 million in funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to advance the vaccine through laboratory stages and into a phase 1 clinical trial.
This vaccine, developed by ProBioGen, a subsidiary of Minapharm, is the fifth Bundibugyo candidate vaccine being funded by CEPI. There are currently no specific vaccines or treatments for Bundibugyo, which has caused over 5,600 confirmed cases and more than 2,700 deaths in the DRC since the outbreak was declared on May 15. Dr. Jean Kaseya, head of the African Union's public health agency, emphasized the importance of having an African-developed vaccine to protect the continent's population.
CEPI is also funding four other Bundibugyo candidate vaccines, developed using different technologies, with the goal of increasing the chances of developing a safe and effective vaccine to control the outbreak.
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