Serum Institute of India to manufacture Oxford Ebola vaccine backed by US$ 8.6 million CEPI funding
- IBEF
- June 3, 2026
The Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, has partnered with the University of Oxford to manufacture clinical trial doses of an experimental vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. The initiative has received initial funding of up to Rs. 81.51 crore (US$ 8.6 million) from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which is seeking to accelerate the development of vaccines in response to the rapidly spreading outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighbouring Uganda. The vaccine candidate, known as ChAdOx1 BDBV, is based on the same ChAdOx1 platform that underpinned the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. CEPI’s funding will support preclinical testing and other development activities required to prepare the candidate for Phase 1 clinical trials. With no licensed vaccines currently available for the Bundibugyo strain, global health agencies have prioritised the rapid advancement of promising vaccine candidates.
The collaboration brings together Oxford’s vaccine research capabilities, CEPI’s epidemic preparedness expertise and SII’s large-scale manufacturing capacity. According to CEPI, the Oxford-SII candidate is one of three investigational vaccines being fast-tracked to address the ongoing outbreak. The ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has resulted in hundreds of suspected cases and fatalities, prompting international public health concern. SII’s involvement is expected to significantly shorten vaccine production timelines, leveraging experience gained through previous collaborations with Oxford and other global health partners. If successful, the partnership could enable the rapid supply of affordable vaccine doses to be affected countries and strengthen global preparedness against emerging infectious diseases. The initiative also highlights India’s growing role in global vaccine manufacturing and epidemic response efforts.
Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.
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