Uganda launches Phase I clinical study of Bundibugyo virus disease vaccine

The Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit) have launched a Phase I clinical study evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of a candidate vaccine against Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), a severe form of Ebola virus disease caused by Bundibugyo virus (BDBV). The study is part of an international effort to develop vaccines against Ebola virus species for which no licensed vaccines are currently available.

Conducted in partnership with the Oxford Vaccine Group and Pandemic Science Institute, at the University of Oxford, the study will evaluate the safety of a ChAdOx-based Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine candidate, ChAdOx BDBV, and its ability to stimulate an immune response in healthy adult volunteers.

The first participants were vaccinated today, Tuesday 6th October 2026, in Masaka City, and follows the launch of a first-in-human Phase I trial in the United Kingdom evaluating the same vaccine candidate.

Both trials are funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), as part of a programme to advance the development of the vaccine candidate.

Vaccine candidate

The ChAdOx BDBV vaccine candidate was developed by scientists at the University of Oxford, with production and quality-testing of the viral seed stock that formed the starting material for large-scale vaccine manufacture carried out onsite by the Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility.

The Serum Institute of India (SII), based in Pune, India, has collaborated to manufacture and stockpiled approximately 620,000 doses of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine candidate in two weeks for potential future use. SII has supplied 300 vials to UK and additionally ~3000 investigational doses for this Phase I trial in Uganda.

The Uganda study is led by Professor Eugene Ruzagira, Head of Clinical Research and Trials at the MRC/UVRI&LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, and will be conducted at the Unit’s internationally recognized clinical research site in Masaka City, southwestern Uganda. With more than three decades of experience in vaccine research and clinical trials, the site combines state-of-the-art laboratory and clinical infrastructure, and long-standing community partnerships, providing an ideal setting for conducting early-phase clinical studies to the highest scientific, ethical and regulatory standards.

Critical time

The study launches at a critical time as countries in the region respond to the ongoing Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak. While Uganda has contained local transmission through rapid surveillance and response measures, Ugandan scientists and public health experts continue to support regional efforts to control the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Bundibugyo virus was first identified during an outbreak in western Uganda in 2007 and remains one of the Ebola virus species for which no licenced vaccine is currently available. Developing an effective vaccine against Bundibugyo virus is therefore an important priority for global epidemic preparedness.

The study further strengthens the MRC/UVRI& LSHTM Uganda Research Unit’s longstanding contribution to research on emerging infectious diseases and reinforces Uganda’s role as a trusted partner in international efforts to develop vaccines and other interventions against epidemic-prone diseases.

The study is sponsored by the University of Oxford and implemented in Uganda by the MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit. It will be conducted in accordance with Uganda’s regulatory requirements and international standards for ethical clinical research.

Next steps

If early-stage trials are successful, CEPI anticipates working with the University of Oxford and SII to support late-stage trials to generate data for emergency use authorisation or licensure.

CEPI, SII and the University of Oxford are committed to enabling rapid, affordable supply of Bundibugyo virus vaccines to affected countries and to the populations that need them.

ChAdOx1 BDBV uses the same vaccine technology as the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, which is estimated to have saved around six million lives during its first year of use.

Protecting at-risk communities

Professor Eugene Ruzagira, Principal Investigator for the Uganda study, said: “Bundibugyo virus disease is a form of Ebola with no approved vaccine or specific treatment. By evaluating the ChAdOx-based Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine candidate in Uganda, we are generating the evidence needed to determine whether it is safe and capable of stimulating the immune responses that could help protect at-risk communities in future outbreaks.”

Professor Simon Drysdale, Oxford Vaccine Group, Chief Investigator of the study said: “This is an important moment in a truly global effort to strengthen preparedness against Bundibugyo ebolavirus. A vaccine developed and first tested at the University of Oxford, and manufactured and stockpiled in India, is now being evaluated in Uganda with our expert partners, and supported by CEPI — bringing together expertise and commitment across continents with a shared goal.

We are delighted to be working with such an experienced group to advance our candidate vaccine against Bundibugyo ebolavirus, and enormously grateful to the volunteers taking part in this trial. Their contribution is critical to generating the evidence needed to help ensure that vaccines can progress to where they are needed the most.”

Leading vaccine research

Professor Moffat Nyirenda, Director of the MRC/UVRI&LSHTM Uganda Research Unit said: “This trial demonstrates how sustained investment in scientific excellence, research infrastructure and long-term partnerships has positioned Uganda as a leading centre for vaccine research in Africa. Working alongside collaborators in Uganda, across Africa and internationally, we are contributing high-quality science that will accelerate the development of vaccines against emerging infectious diseases and strengthen global epidemic preparedness.”

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Dr Nicole Lurie, Executive Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response said: “The Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak raging in the DRC is now the fastest-growing Ebola epidemic in history – and the deadliest Ebola outbreak the nation has ever experienced. We urgently need a safe and effective vaccine that could help bring this crisis to an end. The findings from this Uganda trial will be essential in building the robust data to rapidly advance ChAdOx BDBV to the next stage of testing and bring the prospect of protection closer.”

Unmet need

Dr. Umesh Shaligram, Executive Director, Serum Institute of India said: “The initiation of the Phase I clinical study of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine candidate in Uganda is a significant step forward in addressing an important unmet need in Ebola preparedness. The rapid manufacture, stockpiling and supply of investigational doses for clinical evaluation reflect what can be achieved when global collaborators work with urgency and shared purpose.

“We are pleased to contribute our manufacturing expertise to this collaborative effort and remain committed to supporting the development of innovative vaccines that can help protect communities at risk from emerging infectious diseases worldwide.”