A major breakthrough in the fight against Zaire ebolavirus was announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos. CEPI (the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) is partnering with the pharmaceutical company MSD to create a more accessible version of the current Ebola vaccine.
Backed by $30 million in new funding, the project aims to solve the two biggest problems facing the current vaccine: high costs and extreme storage requirements.
Currently, the Ebola vaccine is difficult to use in remote or low-resource areas because it must be kept in specialized freezers at -70°C. This "ultra-low" temperature requirement creates a massive logistical nightmare in rural African villages where electricity and advanced cooling equipment are rare.
The new collaboration seeks to update the manufacturing process to improve the vaccine's thermostability. If successful, the new version could be stored in a standard refrigerator (2 to 8°C) for several months. This change would make it much easier to deploy during sudden outbreaks in hard-to-reach areas.
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The existing manufacturing process is complex and expensive, making it hard to produce enough doses quickly during a crisis. By streamlining production through Hilleman Laboratories, the partners hope to increase vaccine yield (making more doses from the same materials); Reduce production costs, allowing MSD to offer the vaccine to low- and middle-income countries at a significantly lower price and ensure a stable supply so that frontline healthcare workers can receive preventive shots before an outbreak even starts.
Despite global progress, Ebola remains a deadly threat with a 50% survival rate. Recent outbreaks, including one in the DRC in 2025, prove that the virus is unpredictable.
"The world has transformed Ebola from a global emergency to a disease that can be stopped in its tracks," said Dr. Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI. This new deal is designed to ensure that the tools to stop the virus are not just effective, but affordable and available to the people who need them most.
CEPI will fund Phase 3 clinical trials in Africa to ensure the new version of the vaccine creates the same strong immune response as the original. If the trials are successful and regulatory approvals are met, this "fridge-stable" vaccine could become the new standard for outbreak response by 2027 and beyond.
The existing MSD Zaire ebolavirus vaccine was developed in the midst of the 2014 and 2016 West African Ebola crisis. Its manufacturing process is complex and potentially vulnerable to supply disruptions, which means the vaccine is expensive to make and difficult to produce at scale. In addition, the vaccine must be stored in freezers at ultra-low temperatures of -70 degrees Celsius*, creating substantial logistical challenges in the often remote, low-resource settings where outbreaks of Ebola typically occur.
This unique collaboration aims to address these challenges by updating the current manufacturing process to increase the yield and improve thermostability - i.e., the vaccine's shelf life at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. These technical improvements could potentially reduce the cost of the vaccine and enable it to be stored in a regular refrigerator for several months, making it much easier to deploy in outbreak settings, subject to regulatory review and public health requirements.
As part of this collaboration, MSD will provide critical technical expertise and ongoing support of Hilleman Laboratories. In addition, MSD will explore options for making the updated vaccine available to public sector buyers in low- and middle-income countries at a significantly more affordable price than the current vaccine, reflecting the anticipated reduction in production costs and subject to regulatory review.
"We believe strategic partnerships are essential to addressing some of the world's most serious health threats, and we appreciate CEPI's support of Hilleman Laboratories' pioneering work in vaccine development for diseases affecting people in low- and middle-income countries," said Chirfi Guindo, Chief Marketing Officer, Human Health, MSD and MSD Shareholder Executive Leader, Hilleman Laboratories. "This updated manufacturing process seeks to enable Hilleman to develop and deliver a scalable Zaire ebolavirus vaccine with potential for improved thermostability tailored for outbreak response and prevention. Hilleman, an innovative collaboration between MSD and Wellcome, exemplifies one of the best of the philanthropic and private sectors."
"Collaboration is at the heart of how Hilleman develops strategies and solutions to tackle diseases that cause frequent outbreaks in low- and middle-income countries, like Ebola," said Dr. Raman Rao, Chief Executive Officer, Hilleman Laboratories. "We thank CEPI for expanding its well-established support for research and development into Ebola vaccines. Advancing outbreak preparedness by developing this updated vaccine has potential to help save lives and prevent suffering in the countries where Zaire ebolavirus poses the greatest threat."
Researchers also expect the updated process to make it easier to manufacture the vaccine at scale. If the world were to face another large outbreak on the scale of the epidemic that struck West Africa in 2014-16, the ability to rapidly produce large quantities of vaccines could help prevent the spread of the virus and help reduce societal and economic damage. It would also make it possible to further enable the expansion of the vaccine's use in preventive vaccination for health and frontline workers across regions affected who are most at risk from the disease, consistent with the current WHO SAGE recommendation.
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CEPI's investment will support Hilleman Laboratories in the clinical development of the updated vaccine. SK bioscience and IDT Biological will develop the updated drug substance process and associated drug product.
"Addressing deadly infectious diseases such as Ebola requires strong global collaboration, said Jaeyong Ahn, CEO of SK bioscience. Through this CEPI-supported partnership, SK bioscience will continue to play a critical role in improving Zaire ebolavirus vaccine manufacturing and supply, contributing meaningfully to global health preparedness."
CEPI will also fund a Phase 3 immunobinding clinical trial in countries in Africa where the current vaccine is approved for use, subject to ethical and regulatory approvals. The trial will evaluate the immune response generated by the updated vaccine and compare its immune response to that generated by the current licensed vaccine to infer efficacy of the updated vaccine.
