Moderna starts Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine trial

Moderna has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial in Canada for its mRNA vaccine candidate mRNA-1469, targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is responsible for the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Canada — Health Canada authorized the trial on July 30, 2026, making Canada the second country after the UK to authorize a Phase 1 trial for a Bundibugyo vaccine. The trial will enroll approximately 80 healthy adults at three sites in Canada to evaluate safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity. The vaccine uses Moderna's mRNA platform, the same technology used in its COVID-19 vaccine. The program is supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which has committed up to $50 million for preclinical testing and the Phase 1 trial. The outbreak has caused over 3,700 cases and more than 1,650 deaths in the DRC, and has been declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization and Africa. No approved vaccine or treatment currently exists for the Bundibugyo strain. Other vaccine candidates are also in development, including one from the University of Oxford and another from Hilleman Laboratories. Moderna has committed to making at least 500,000 doses available at access pricing to low- and middle-income countries if the vaccine is approved.