In response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a strategic plan to fast-track the evaluation of experimental medical countermeasures. Because there are currently no approved vaccines or therapies specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain, the WHO is prioritizing three primary treatments: Mapp Biopharmaceutical’s MBP134, Regeneron’s maftivimab, and Gilead Sciences’ antiviral remdesivir. These therapies, along with potential combination treatments, are being fast-tracked for clinical trials to establish their safety and efficacy in real-world settings.

Regarding prevention, the WHO has identified the single-dose rVSV vaccine from the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative as a highly promising candidate, though it is not expected to be ready for testing for several months. In the shorter term, the Oxford-Serum Institute's ChAdOx1 vaccine may enter trials within a few months, pending further data. Meanwhile, the WHO is stressing the importance of robust contact tracing to support the use of Gilead’s antiviral obeldesivir for post-exposure protection. Working closely with the Africa CDC and local authorities, health officials are now focused on establishing rigorous, ethical clinical trials to finally bring this dangerous virus under control.