The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has invested $4.17 million in four research projects. These projects will look into whether current Ebola vaccines can create immune responses against the Bundibugyo virus.
The studies will analyze blood samples from thousands of people who have been vaccinated against Zaire ebolavirus. This includes those who received the Ervebo vaccine. The aim is to see if these vaccines offer any protection against different types of the Ebola virus.
This research is happening while the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is still facing an outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently declared this outbreak as the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record.
As per WHO’s latest disease outbreak update, there have been 4,665 confirmed cases and 2,184 deaths across five provinces and 54 health zones in the DRC. WHO also classified the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern back in May.
No approved Bundibugyo vaccine
Richard Hatchett, the CEO of CEPI, stated that there is no licensed vaccine approved specifically for Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease. He mentioned that vaccine candidates for Bundibugyo are in development but won’t be ready in the early phase of the current outbreak.
“However, vaccines do exist for the related Zaire ebolavirus, including Ervebo. Given the recent announcement that Ervebo will be deployed for emergency use against Bundibugyo virus, these CEPI-backed studies will be all the more important to inform on how we can make the best use of the existing vaccine,” he said.
CEPI also noted that the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Candidate Vaccine Prioritisation has recommended that Ervebo be evaluated in a phase three clinical trial alongside Bundibugyo-specific vaccine candidates when they become available.
The DRC authorities and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention plan to use Ervebo for priority groups under a controlled expanded-use arrangement.
Research to inform vaccine decisions
CEPI explained that the selected projects came from its June 2026 call for proposals. The aim is to generate evidence for Bundibugyo vaccine research and development.
The studies will help fill knowledge gaps about using existing vaccines against the virus. They will support decisions on vaccination during the current outbreak and future responses.
The funding comes from the European Commission through a 2026 Horizon Europe grant, the United States Department of State, and CEPI’s existing funding.
What the studies will explore
CEPI mentioned that the four projects aim to find out if vaccination against Zaire ebolavirus can trigger antibody responses that recognize Bundibugyo ebolavirus. The studies will also work on standardizing antibody tests for Bundibugyo virus and how long these immune responses last.
“Researchers will undertake antibody testing against all Orthoebolavirus species and Marburg virus, prioritizing tests for Bundibugyo ebolavirus. They will examine which vaccines might provide protection against Bundibugyo virus and identify vaccination plans that could lead to strong and lasting immune responses,” CEPI said.
“Part of the award will transfer these laboratory methods to INRB in DRC, harmonizing their laboratory capacity with CEPI’s Centralised Laboratory Network and international antibody reference standards. First antibody results are expected within two to six months.”
Institutions involved
CEPI added that the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Fielding School of Public Health will get $2.05 million for its study. The researchers will look at blood samples from over 1,700 people who received Ervebo and another Ebola vaccine.
The Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp will receive $1.02 million for its EBO-BOOST-BRIDGE project, studying samples from more than 600 participants. This project will also transfer laboratory methods to the National Institute of Biomedical Research in the DRC, with initial results expected within two to six months.
The University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Medicine’s Centre for Human Genetics and Pandemic Sciences Institute will get $975,000 to study blood samples from people who received Ervebo and survivors of Zaire ebolavirus disease. Their study will see if immunity from vaccination or past infection could protect against Bundibugyo virus.
The MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research will receive $120,000 to study samples from vaccinated close contacts and Ugandan healthcare workers. They will check if antibodies from Ervebo also recognize Bundibugyo virus.
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