The University of Oxford has begun the first human clinical trial of a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, marking a rapid response to a deadly outbreak in Central Africa.
The phase one trial, known as BD-Ebov, will assess safety and immune response in 50 healthy adults aged 18 to 55 in Oxford. Scientists developed the candidate in just eight weeks after the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency on 17 May 2026. It is the first of four vaccines under development to reach clinical testing. The UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency authorised the trial.
The Bundibugyo strain is driving an epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that has killed 625 people among 1,792 confirmed cases. The Serum Institute of India is manufacturing the vaccine and has already stockpiled approximately 620,000 doses.