CEPI will give more than $60 million to Moderna and two other groups to accelerate Ebola vaccine development against the Bundibugyo virus, the organisation said.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations said the funding targets a strain with no approved vaccine or treatment. The outbreak has spread in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
CEPI committed up to $50 million for Moderna’s investigational Ebola Bundibugyo vaccine candidate. The funding covers preclinical work, early clinical testing, manufacturing and possible later-stage trials.
The organisation also pledged up to $8.6 million for a University of Oxford candidate made with the Serum Institute of India.
It also committed $3.2 million in initial funding to a candidate from the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative.
CEPI Chief Executive Richard Hatchett told Reuters that vaccine candidates could be ready for trials within a few months. However, he said vaccine development remains unpredictable.
Read: WHO declares Liberia Ebola-free
Health agencies have reported 282 confirmed cases and 42 deaths in Congo, along with about 1,100 suspected cases. Uganda has confirmed nine cases and one death.
The World Health Organisation has convened expert groups to review candidate vaccines and treatments. CEPI said security conditions in eastern Congo could make trials more difficult.
