First volunteer gets experimental vaccine for Bundibugyo Ebola, as Oxford launches Phase I trial

Researchers at the University of Oxford have launched the world’s first Phase I clinical trial for a vaccine targeting Bundibugyo ebolavirus, following the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring Uganda. The study, called BD-Ebov, will evaluate safety and immune responses in 50 healthy adults aged 18–55 years. The experimental vaccine uses the ChAdOx1 platform (similar to one used for COVID-19) and is designed to trigger immunity against a Bundibugyo viral protein. Recruitment has started in Oxford.