Congo to Receive 70,000 Ervebo Vaccines to Curb Ebola Outbreak, WHO Says

• 20,000 of the 70,000 allocated doses will be used in a late-stage clinical trial to test Ervebo's effectiveness against the Bundibugyo strain, as the vaccine is currently only approved for the more common Zaire ebolavirus strain
• Congo's current outbreak became the country's worst on record in late July, surpassing the previous 2018-2020 outbreak with over 5,000 confirmed cases and 2,378 deaths
• The WHO director-general has declared the outbreak in eastern Congo remains a global emergency, with vaccines released from the ICG-managed global stockpile

Summary: Congo to Receive 70,000 Ervebo Vaccines to Combat Record Ebola Outbreak

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been allocated 70,000 doses of Merck's Ervebo vaccine as it battles its largest Ebola outbreak on record, the World Health Organization announced Thursday.

Key Figures:

• 70,000 vaccine doses allocated from global stockpile
• 20,000 doses designated for late-stage clinical trials
• Over 5,000 confirmed Ebola cases
• 2,378 deaths reported
• Congo's 17th Ebola epidemic, surpassing the 2018-2020 outbreak

Critical Challenge:

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has no approved vaccines or treatments. Ervebo is only approved for the more common Zaire ebolavirus strain, and it remains unknown whether it offers protection against Bundibugyo in humans. The WHO emphasized the importance of clinical trials to generate evidence on the vaccine's effectiveness against this strain.

Vaccine Distribution:

The allocation came from the global Ebola virus disease vaccine stockpile managed by the International Coordinating Group (ICG), a partnership between WHO, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Médecins Sans Frontières, and UNICEF. Congo requested the vaccine release last week.

Market Implications:

This development affects Merck, the manufacturer of Ervebo. The outbreak was declared a global emergency by WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus earlier this week, highlighting the severity and potential for international spread. The trial results could have significant implications for Ervebo's broader applications and Merck's vaccine portfolio, particularly if efficacy is demonstrated against the Bundibugyo strain.