Moderna has announced a major expansion of its partnership with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to accelerate the development of a potential vaccine against Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV), one of the deadliest Ebola-causing viruses.
Under the agreement, CEPI will commit up to US $50 million to fund preclinical research and Phase 1 clinical trials of Moderna’s mRNA-based vaccine candidate.
The deal also includes early manufacturing support, allowing doses to be produced while trials are still underway—an approach designed to compress timelines if early results are successful and the program advances into large-scale Phase 2 and 3 studies.
The effort leans heavily on Moderna’s mRNA platform, the same technology that enabled rapid vaccine development during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also extends the company’s existing work on filoviruses, a family that includes Ebola and related pathogens.
The collaboration builds on a long-running strategic relationship between Moderna and CEPI, both of which are focused on strengthening global preparedness for future epidemic and pandemic threats.
“At Moderna, we believe our mRNA platform can play an important role in responding rapidly to emerging infectious disease threats," said Stéphane Bancel.
"We are proud to expand our strategic collaboration with CEPI to advance a potential vaccine candidate against Bundibugyo ebolavirus, leveraging our established technology and experience in filovirus vaccine development. We will move with urgency and scientific rigor to support the response and help bring a potential vaccine closer to the communities that need it most."
By combining CEPI’s funding and expertise with Moderna’s manufacturing capacity and mRNA platform, the partners aim to speed up the path toward a vaccine that could strengthen global defenses against future Ebola outbreaks.
“With Bundibugyo virus spreading rapidly and no licensed vaccines, every day counts in the race against this deadly disease,” said Richard Hatchett. “CEPI's urgent funding and support aims to advance safe, effective vaccines to help control this epidemic.”
The urgency is underscored by the current outbreak, which has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization and a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Authorities report more than 900 suspected cases and over 220 suspected deaths, making it the third-largest filovirus outbreak in recorded history.
As the outbreak escalates, the collaboration places a high-stakes bet on speed: using advanced vaccine platforms and pre-approved funding pathways to shorten the distance between outbreak detection and deployable protection.
