Oxford’s new Ebola vaccine enters first human trial: Serum Institute making over 6,20,000 doses

3 min readJul 13, 2026 08:23 PM IST

The ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine was developed by scientists at the Oxford Vaccine Group and the Pandemic Sciences Institute. (Representative image: Unsplash/ @eine_eric)

In a major milestone in the global response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Africa, a vaccine candidate developed by the University of Oxford has become the first vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus to enter Phase 1 clinical trials. The development comes just 57 days after the outbreak was declared.

Backed by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the vaccine candidate — known as ChAdOx1 BDBV — will be tested in 50 healthy adults aged 18 to 55 years in Oxford, UK. The study will evaluate the vaccine’s safety and its ability to trigger an immune response. Recruitment has begun, and vaccinations are expected to start in the coming weeks, subject to regulatory approval.

The Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. (SII) has played a key role in accelerating the programme. The Pune-based vaccine manufacturer produced and stockpiled around 620,000 doses of the investigational vaccine within just two weeks for potential emergency use and supplied 4,000 doses for the Phase 1 trial. “During outbreaks, speed, preparedness and global collaboration are essential to advancing vaccine candidates quickly and responsibly,” Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, said. “We are proud to contribute to this effort alongside CEPI, the University of Oxford and our other partners.”

The ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine was developed by scientists at the Oxford Vaccine Group and the Pandemic Sciences Institute. It uses the same chimpanzee adenovirus (ChAdOx) viral vector platform that underpinned the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, which is estimated to have saved more than six million lives during its first year of global use. “The ongoing Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak continues to devastate affected communities, underlining the urgent need for effective vaccines and treatments,” said Professor Teresa Lambe OBE, Calleva Head of Immunology at the Oxford Vaccine Group and Pandemic Sciences Institute, who is leading the study.

Calling the development a significant step forward, Dr Nicole Lurie, Executive Director for Preparedness and Response at CEPI, noted that the current epidemic has already become the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record, with cases continuing to rise. “Every step brings a safe and effective vaccine closer and strengthens our ability to protect vulnerable communities, save lives and help bring this outbreak under control,” she said.

Just two weeks after the outbreak was declared, CEPI, the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute launched a $8.6 million partnership to fast-track the vaccine’s development and move it into human clinical trials. Subject to regulatory approvals, preparations are also under way for additional clinical studies in Uganda in collaboration with the Medical Research Council/Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit.

According to CEPI, the vaccine has reached its first human trial just 57 days after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, underscoring one of the fastest vaccine development responses to an emerging infectious disease in recent years.

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Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues .

Professional Background

Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature.

Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO.

Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives.

Awards and Recognition

Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.”

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Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions.

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