Minapharm Group will receive up to $16.5 million from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to develop a Bundibugyo ebolavirus vaccine candidate, addressing an escalating outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to a joint announcement from the organizations.
CEPI Funding Advances Minapharm Vaccine Candidate for DRC Outbreak
Leading African biopharmaceutical company Minapharm Group, headquartered in Egypt with subsidiaries in Berlin, is set to receive up to US$16.5 million from CEPI. The funding announcement states that the financial support aims to push forward a Bundibugyo ebolavirus vaccine candidate to help address the second-largest and fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record impacting the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The investigational vaccine becomes the fifth Bundibugyo-specific virus vaccine candidate supported by CEPI. Dr. Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, stated that cases have spread rapidly across the DRC over a three-month period, creating the largest and deadliest outbreak the country has ever faced.
ProBioGen Platform and MVA-CR19 Technology Explained
Minapharm’s Bundibugyo vaccine is designed by ProBioGen, a Berlin-based specialist within Minapharm Group. According to company releases, the design relies on a proprietary modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccine platform known as MVA-CR19. A licensed vaccine against mpox and smallpox relies on similar technology, which has also produced long-term immunity in a vaccine aimed at the related Zaire ebolavirus.
Dr. Volker Sandig, Chief Scientific Officer of ProBioGen, noted that the MVA-CR19 platform was built to enable rapid generation of recombinant MVA vaccine candidates alongside scalable manufacturing. Among all Bundibugyo vaccine candidates backed by CEPI, this project stands alone as the only one engineered to trigger both T- and B-cell responses in pursuit of complete and enduring immunity.
Did you know? ProBioGen’s MVA-CR19 platform shares technological roots with approved vaccines protecting against smallpox and mpox.
Clinical Trial Timeline and Manufacturing Strategy Across Africa and Europe
The candidate will move through preclinical testing and into early-stage clinical evaluation with the help of CEPI’s financial backing, allowing researchers to measure the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine candidate. According to project outlines, the study in humans, known as a Phase 1 trial, is expected to take place in Africa. ProBioGen will generate the recombinant MVA drug substance under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines in Germany before shipping it to Minapharm’s facility in Cairo, Egypt, to create the drug product.
In parallel, Minapharm plans to transfer drug substance manufacturing to its biotechnology facilities in Cairo. Dr. Wafik Bardissi, Group Chairman and CEO of Minapharm and Chairman of ProBioGen, emphasized that the cross-continental model combines scientific innovation, proprietary technologies and advanced biomanufacturing to build health sovereignty in Africa.
Broader Public Health Response and WHO Strain Assessments
While African-led innovation drives the Minapharm initiative, global health agencies are evaluating broader timelines for Ebola countermeasures. According to Dr. Vasee Moorthy, lead for the WHO’s research and development blueprint during a news conference, approved vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain do not currently exist, and the most promising candidates remain months away from human testing.
Health officials have also examined alternative strategies, including reviewing Merck’s Ebola vaccine, called Ervebo, which targets the Zaire strain. While early animal studies suggest limited cross-protection against the Bundibugyo virus, subject matter experts emphasize that existing data is limited and more research is needed, keeping basic public health measures like contact tracing and safe isolation central to containment efforts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary funding amount for the Minapharm vaccine project?
Minapharm Group will receive up to US$16.5 million from CEPI to advance the Bundibugyo ebolavirus vaccine candidate.
Where will the vaccine be manufactured?
The drug substance will initially be produced by ProBioGen — a wholly-owned subsidiary of Minapharm based in Germany — under GMP guidelines and shipped to Minapharm’s facility in Cairo, Egypt, to create the drug product, with parallel plans to transfer drug substance manufacturing to Minapharm’s biotechnology facilities in Cairo.
Are there currently approved vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain?
According to the WHO, there are currently no approved vaccines for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, making investigational candidates like Minapharm’s crucial for future preparedness.
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