Which organizations are developing the Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine, and what will each partner do?

IAVI will lead the program’s clinical development and regulatory work, while Hilleman Laboratories will make early clinical-trial doses and manage technology transfer. SK Bioscience will oversee scale-up and mass production, with its German subsidiary IDT Biologika responsible for filling and finishing.

How much funding will the Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine project receive, and what will it pay for?

BARDA’s award can reach 130.9 billion won, or $99 million, and $36 million in initial funding has been confirmed. The funding covers clinical and regulatory work, outbreak-response production and supply, and development of an upgraded vaccine based on variant strains.

Why is a new vaccine for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus being developed, and what kind of vaccine are the partners aiming for?

No vaccine or treatment specifically for the Bundibugyo virus currently exists, while the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has caused thousands of confirmed cases and deaths. The partners aim to make a single-dose vaccine that builds immunity quickly.

SK Bioscience joins US-backed project to develop Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine

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Summary

SK Bioscience will join IAVI and Hilleman Laboratories in a U.S.-funded project to develop and produce a vaccine against the Bundibugyo Ebola virus spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. BARDA will provide up to 130.9 billion won, with $36 million in initial funding confirmed. The partners aim to develop a single-dose vaccine, while dividing clinical development, trial-dose production and large-scale manufacturing among themselves.

Key Facts

The project funding will support clinical and regulatory work, including a Phase 1 safety trial, outbreak-response vaccine production and supply, and development of an upgraded vaccine based on variant strains.
As of Sunday, the Congo outbreak had reached 10,060 confirmed cases and 4,887 deaths, making it the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record.
IAVI will lead clinical development and regulatory dealings, including with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, while Hilleman Laboratories will produce early trial doses and handle technology transfer.
SK Bioscience will lead scale-up and mass production, and its German subsidiary IDT Biologika will handle filling and finishing.
The vaccine will use the same platform as a World Health Organization-prequalified vaccine for the Zaire Ebola strain.

By Jhoo Dong-chan

Published Oct 29, 2026 2:09 pm KST

SK Bioscience’s Global R&PD Center in Songdo, Incheon / Courtesy of SK Bioscience

SK Bioscience will join global partners in a U.S. government-funded project to develop and produce a vaccine against the Bundibugyo virus, a strain of Ebola spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Korean vaccine maker said Thursday.

The project, carried out with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), a global nonprofit biomedical research organization, and Singapore-based Hilleman Laboratories, will receive up to 130.9 billion won ($99 million) from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

BARDA is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. Initial funding of $36 million has been confirmed.

The money will go toward clinical and regulatory work, including a Phase 1 trial, which tests a vaccine’s safety in a small group of people, as well as outbreak-response vaccine production and supply. Development of an upgraded vaccine based on variant strains is also planned.

The Congo outbreak has reached 10,060 confirmed cases and 4,887 deaths as of Sunday, making it the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record. No vaccine or treatment specifically for the Bundibugyo virus currently exists. The partners aim to develop a single-dose vaccine that builds immunity quickly.

IAVI will lead the program, including clinical development and dealings with regulators such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Hilleman Laboratories will produce early clinical trial doses and handle technology transfer. SK Bioscience will lead scale-up and mass production, with its German subsidiary IDT Biologika, a contract development and manufacturing organization, handling filling and finishing.

The vaccine will use the same platform as an existing Ebola vaccine for the Zaire strain that the World Health Organization has prequalified, or certified as safe and effective.

“Securing vaccine development and production capabilities is crucial to proactively responding to infectious disease threats,” SK Bioscience President Ahn Jae-yong said.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

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