US Provides Experimental Ebola Treatment for Clinical Trials in Congo Outbreak

The United States is providing stockpiled doses of Mapp Biopharmaceutical's experimental antibody MBP134 to support clinical trials and compassionate use in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has caused over 1,000 cases and 250 deaths. With no approved treatments, trials for MBP134 and Gilead antivirals are starting soon, though vaccine trials remain further off. Researchers face severe regional challenges, including conflict and mistrust.

US experimental Ebola treatment provision

• ▪The United States has pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to the Ebola response and is constructing a quarantine center in Kenya for American citizens
• ▪The United States has provided stockpiled doses of Mapp Biopharmaceutical's experimental antibody drug MBP134 for clinical trials and compassionate use in the Democratic Republic of Congo
• ▪The United States Department of Health and Human Services declined to disclose the specific number of MBP134 doses provided to the Democratic Republic of Congo

Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in Congo

• ▪The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a global health emergency in May 2026
• ▪There are currently no approved vaccines or treatments specifically for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola
• ▪The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola has caused more than 1,000 cases and over 250 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with additional cases in Uganda

Clinical trial protocols

• ▪Mapp Biopharmaceutical's MBP134 will be tested individually and alongside Gilead Sciences' antiviral remdesivir in a trial sponsored by the World Health Organization
• ▪Ethics committees and regulators in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda are reviewing trial protocols for treatments that are safe but unproven against Bundibugyo
• ▪Gilead Sciences' antiviral obeldesivir will be tested as a preventive option in a trial led by Congo, Uganda, and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

Vaccine development timeline

• ▪Phase 1 clinical trials for Bundibugyo Ebola vaccines could begin in July 2026, likely in the United Kingdom and possibly Uganda
• ▪The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations has backed four vaccine candidates, with candidates from Oxford/Serum Institute of India and Moderna likely to be tested first

Outbreak response challenges

• ▪The World Health Organization is prioritizing post-trial drug access for patients in affected countries if the treatments are proven safe and effective
• ▪Clinical trials in the conflict-hit region face severe challenges, including mistrust, attacks on health workers, disrupted supply chains, and difficult contact tracing