Hilleman Labs to make Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine doses

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Hilleman Laboratories, a Singapore joint venture between Merck and the Wellcome Trust, will manufacture finished doses of an experimental single-dose vaccine against the Bundibugyo Ebola strain using starting material from the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. CEPI is backing the effort with up to $8.5 million, and Merck will advise on the rVSV platform previously used for the Ervebo vaccine. The outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has infected 3,360 people and killed 1,487 as of July 29, and Hilleman says tens of thousands of doses can be produced for early trials, possibly ready by year end.

Hilleman will produce trial doses of a Bundibugyo vaccine by year end.