By Gift Briton
Scientists are developing a single vaccine to protect against three deadly viruses that regularly strike Africa: Ebola Zaire, Sudan Ebola virus, and Marburg virus.
These viruses cause unpredictable outbreaks across the continent. They kill up to 90% of infected people.
The $12.4 million project is funded by CEPI and the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme. Led by Danish biotech company AdaptVac, it will involve a global team of researchers working on the vaccine.
The vaccine targets high-risk groups like healthcare workers in Central and East Africa, where the outbreaks happen most often.
Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, said filoviruses are “amongst the world’s deadliest viruses,” noting that outbreaks are becoming more frequent and could cause catastrophic epidemics.
“An all-in-one filovirus vaccine could be a game-changer,” Hatchett said. It would protect those most at risk and make the world safer from future viral threats.
Researchers at Leipzig’s Institute for Drug Discovery will use artificial intelligence to design vaccine components that trigger immune responses against multiple filoviruses.
These components will be combined with AdaptVac’s Virus-Like-Particle platform to create different vaccine versions. The best candidate will be tested in preclinical studies.
The most promising vaccine will then enter Phase 1 of two clinical trials in Gabon and the Netherlands to test safety and effectiveness in humans.
Only two licensed vaccines exist for Ebolavirus Zaire. No approved vaccines protect against Sudan Ebolavirus, Marburg, or Bundibugyo viruses.
A single vaccine covering all these viruses would be cost-effective for protecting people most likely to get infected.
The project supports CEPI’s 100 Days Mission, which aims to develop new vaccines within 100 days of identifying a virus. This rapid response could contain new epidemics before they spread.
The research could help scientists create the ultimate filovirus vaccine: one shot protecting against the entire virus family, including unknown future threats.
CEPI, AdaptVac, and partners commit to fair access worldwide. The partnership includes requirements for affordable pricing and adequate supply for public health needs.
All research results will be published openly for the global scientific community. AdaptVac’s platform doesn’t need complex frozen storage, making it suitable for low-resource countries.
