Abuja, May 28, 2026 — Global health specialists have recommended that experimental treatments and vaccines for Ebola linked to the Bundibugyo virus should only be administered within properly monitored clinical trials to guarantee safety, ethics, and scientific accuracy.
The recommendation was contained in a statement issued on Thursday following consultations coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The advisory followed concerns over the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as well as additional infections recently recorded in Uganda.
According to the statement, WHO assembled its Research and Development Blueprint technical advisory teams to assess potential vaccine and treatment options for Bundibugyo Virus Disease (BVD).
At the same time, the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation, alongside its Ebola vaccine working group, examined whether already approved Ebola vaccines could play any role during BVD outbreaks.
The organisation noted that there are currently no fully approved vaccines or therapies specifically designed for Bundibugyo Ebola, although some experimental products have shown encouraging results and are now being prioritised for clinical evaluation.
For the treatment of confirmed cases, experts highlighted three leading candidates for further study — monoclonal antibodies MBP134 and Maftivimab®, as well as the antiviral drug remdesivir.
They also encouraged research into combining monoclonal antibody therapies with remdesivir as a possible treatment approach.
For preventive care, specialists identified the oral antiviral drug obeldesivir as a key option for post-exposure protection among people who have had contact with confirmed or suspected Ebola patients.
However, the experts stressed that the effectiveness of obeldesivir relies heavily on efficient contact tracing systems, which remain difficult to maintain in some parts of the DRC.
The statement further revealed that the most advanced vaccine prospect is the single-dose rVSV Bundibugyo vaccine currently under development by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, though it may take between seven and nine months before it becomes ready for clinical testing.
Another vaccine candidate, ChAdOx1 Bundibugyo, developed by Oxford University in partnership with the Serum Institute of India, could be available for efficacy trials within two to three months if additional animal studies prove successful.
Experts proposed a single-dose vaccination strategy for close contacts of infected persons, while suggesting a possible two-dose schedule for individuals at high risk of exposure, including healthcare workers and emergency responders.
The WHO also reviewed Ervebo, the only licensed Ebola vaccine currently in use for the most common Ebola strain in Africa. However, the agency explained that the vaccine is not approved for Bundibugyo Ebola and there is no clear evidence yet that it offers protection against the strain.
As a result, WHO advised that Ervebo should only be deployed within carefully supervised research programmes to properly evaluate its effectiveness against BVD.
WHO, alongside the governments of the DRC and Uganda, Africa CDC, ANRS Emerging Infectious Diseases and other international partners, is now working on plans for clinical field trials while continuing established outbreak response measures such as surveillance, contact tracing, isolation, testing, community awareness and safe burial practices to contain the spread of the disease.