Investigational Marburg vaccine delivered to Rwanda as outbreak total increases
Investigational Marburg vaccine delivered to Rwanda as outbreak total increases
Today, The Sabin Vaccine Institute reports delivering 700 doses of its investigational Marburg vaccine to Rwanda to support the ongoing outbreak response.
This initial shipment will be used in a trial targeting frontline workers, including healthcare professionals who have been hardest hit by the deadly virus.
The Sabin Vaccine Institute says they entered into a clinical trial agreement with the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, the trial sponsor, to provide investigational doses for the Phase 2 rapid response open-label study. Per the approved protocol, approximately 700 high-risk adults, starting with health care providers, will be dosed at 6 clinical trial sites in Rwanda. Pending a request from Rwandan officials and authorization from BARDA, Sabin plans to supply additional vaccines.
“We were able to ship Marburg vaccine doses within 7 days of being contacted by the Rwanda government for assistance. Working alongside our partners, we moved with lightning speed to prepare shipments, finalize protocols, and secure the necessary regulatory and legal approvals,” says Sabin Chief Executive Officer Amy Finan. “This swift emergency response demonstrates that a dedicated, collaborative group of individuals and organizations can achieve remarkable results when united by a common cause: to contain a lethal disease outbreak and prevent further loss of life.”
The Rwanda Ministry of Health declared the Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) on September 27. Through October 5, 46 confirmed cases, including 12 fatalities have been report.
The current MVD outbreak in Rwanda is the largest since the 2004-2005 outbreak in Uige Province, Angola when 252 cases and 227 deaths were registered (90 percent fatality rate).