Scientists at Oxford University are developing a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, ready for trials to take place within a matter of weeks.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an outbreak of the disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda last Sunday.
Top health officials described it as a “public health emergency of international concern” after 300 suspected cases along with 88 deaths were reported.
There is no proven vaccine currently for the rare Ebola species, which kills approximately one third of those it infects.
The head of vaccine immunology at the Oxford Vaccine Group, Professor Teresa Lambe, told the BBC said they “can’t take their foot off the gas”.
“People are worried about this outbreak,” she said.
“Generally, you prepare for the worst case scenario – hopefully contact tracing and quarantine is all that’s needed, but we can’t take our foot off the gas,” the professor added.
The vaccine uses ChAdOx1 technology, the same platform Oxford scientists developed during the coronavirus pandemic.
The World Health Organisation confirmed an outbreak
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The adaptable system is able to be rapidly modified to combat different pathogens and ward off different diseases.
While researchers loaded the platform with genetic code from the coronavirus for Covid-19, the Ebola version carries genetic material from the Bundibugyo strain instead.
The technology relies on a chimpanzee cold virus that has been genetically altered to ensure the formula is safe for humans.
The modified virus transports Bundibugyo Ebola genetic instructions into human cells, teaching them to identify and combat the actual disease – just like any other vaccine does.
The outbreak has not met the criteria to be considered a pandemic, the WHO said
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Animal testing is now underway at Oxford’s facilities.
The Serum Institute of India is prepared to manufacture the vaccine at scale once Oxford provides medical-grade starting material.
Prof Lambe said: “Once we get starting material to them they can go fast and they can go big.”
However, the WHO cautioned earlier this week that no animal data yet supports the effectiveness of this particular vaccine.
A WHO spokesman said there remains considerable uncertainty about the timeline, with progression to clinical trials dependent on animal study results.
A separate experimental Bundibugyo vaccine is also being developed elsewhere, although doses would take six to nine months to prepare for testing.
The WHO upgraded the risk assessment from “high” to “very high” across the DRC.
Regional risk is now also considered high, while international risk remains low.
Abdirahman Mahamud, WHO Director of Health Emergency Alert & Response Operations, said: “The potential of this virus spreading rapidly is high, very high, and that changed the whole dynamic.”
Britain announced it will provide up to £20million to contain the outbreak in the DRC and Uganda.
The funding will support frontline health workers, infection control measures and disease surveillance efforts.