CEPI funds Ebola vaccine cross-protection studies
Analysis based on 6 articles · First reported Aug 20, 2026 · Last updated Aug 25, 2026
The funding supports the potential repurposing of existing Ebola vaccines, which could accelerate the response to the DRC outbreak and reduce the need for new vaccine development. This may benefit vaccine manufacturers and related biotech firms, while also highlighting the importance of pandemic preparedness funding.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has committed $4.17 million to four research projects to determine whether existing vaccines against Zaire ebolavirus, including Ervebo, can generate immune responses against Bundibugyo ebolavirus, the virus behind the escalating outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) in May 2026. The studies, led by UCLA, the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, the University of Oxford, and the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, will analyze stored blood samples from thousands of people previously vaccinated against Zaire ebolavirus. The research aims to establish and standardize antibody tests for Bundibugyo virus, assess the durability of immune responses, and support future clinical trials and vaccination strategies. The WHO Technical Advisory Group has recommended that Ervebo be evaluated in a Phase 3 clinical trial, and DRC authorities and the International — Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have announced plans to deploy Ervebo under expanded-use arrangements. The funding is supported by the International — European Commission, the U.S. Department of State, and CEPI's core funding.
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