Minapharm Group, a leading African biopharmaceutical company based in Egypt with subsidiaries in Berlin, is set to receive up to US$16.5 million from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
The funding will support the development of a vaccine candidate against the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, as part of broader efforts to tackle the fastest-growing and second-largest Ebola outbreak on record, currently affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Minapharm’s vaccine candidate has been designed by ProBioGen, a Berlin-based specialist and part of the Minapharm Group. It uses the company’s proprietary modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccine platform, known as MVA-CR19.
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A similar technology is already used in a licensed vaccine for smallpox and mpox, and has also shown long-term immunity in a vaccine targeting the related Zaire ebolavirus.
With CEPI’s backing, the vaccine candidate will progress through preclinical studies and into an early-stage clinical trial, known as a Phase 1 Study.
The trial, which is expected to take place in Africa, will assess the vaccine’s safety and its ability to generate an immune response in humans.
This investigational vaccine is the fifth Bundibugyo-specific vaccine candidate supported by CEPI in response to the growing epidemic. It adds to a portfolio of promising candidates built on different vaccine technologies.
This diversity increases the chances of developing a safe and effective vaccine that could help bring the crisis under control. Notably, it is the only bundibugyo vaccine candidate in CEPI’s portfolio designed to stimulate both B-cell and T-cell responses, aiming to provide broad and long-lasting immunity.
Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, said: “CEPI’s support for Minapharm draws on the growing strength of African-led innovation. This is vital not only for backing the current outbreak but also for preparing against future threats.
In just three months, Bundibugyo cases have spread rapidly across the DRC, making this the largest and deadliest outbreak the country has ever faced. We are proud to back Minapharm’s vaccine candidate.
“It rounds out our portfolio, gives the world another chance at a successful vaccine, and advances Minapharm’s MVA platform. If successful, this platform could serve as the foundation for future African-made filovirus vaccines.
“The sooner we provide promising candidates forward, the better our chances of saving lives and controlling this epidemic.
“CEPI aims to bring at least two Bundibugyo vaccines to Emergency Use Authorisation and WHO Prequalification, helping to respond to the current outbreak and build readiness for future ones.”
Dr Wafik Bardissi, Group Chairman and CEO of Minapharm and Chairman of ProBioGen, said: “For over 25 years, Minapharm has built strong biologics capabilities in Egypt. Together with ProBioGen, we have created a cross-continental group model that combines scientific innovation, proprietary technologies, and advanced biomanufacturing.”
He added: “This programme shows the strength of our abilities across the entire biologics chain – from design and development to manufacturing – in response to an urgent public health threat.
With CEPI’s support, we are turning scientific creativity into health sovereignty. We are using our technologies and expertise to advance a vaccine response for Africa.”
The Chief Scientific Officer of ProBioGen, Dr Volker Sandig, said, “ProBioGen’s MVA-CR19 platform was developed to allow rapid production of recombinant MVA vaccine candidates and scalable manufacturing.
“We are proud to bring this platform and our CMC expertise to a Minapharm-led programme supported by CEPI. This helps advance a Bundibugyo ebolavirus vaccine candidate towards clinical testing in response to a pressing public health need.”
Dr Jean Kesaya, Director General of Africa CDC, commended: “The Bundibugyo virus is now driving the largest Ebola outbreak the DRC has ever seen. A vaccine candidate developed by an African company is exactly the kind of capability our continent needs – not just for this outbreak, but so that Africa can develop and manufacture the tools it needs to protect its own people.
“We welcome CEPI’s support for Minapharm’s work as a concrete step towards that health sovereignty.”
To develop the Bundibugyo-specific vaccine, ProBioGen – a wholly-owned subsidiary of Minapharm based in Germany – will produce the recombinant MVA drug substance under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines.
The drug substance is the active part of the vaccine, containing viral proteins designed to train the immune system to recognise and fight the Bundibugyo ebolavirus.
This substance will then be sent to Minapharm’s facility in Cairo, Egypt, where it will be turned into the finished drug product – the final vaccine mixture, combined with other ingredients and packaged ready for testing.
In parallel, Minapharm plans to transfer drug substance manufacturing to its biotechnology facilities in Cairo, enabling fully local production of both drug substance and drug product.
The project builds on more than 25 years of Minapharm’s experience in the development, end-to-end manufacturing, and commercialisation of complex biologics in Africa.
If the Phase 1 trial is successful, CEPI expects to work with Minapharm and ProBioGen to support later-stage trials. These would generate efficacy data needed for emergency use authorisation and full licensure.
CEPI, Minapharm, and ProBioGen are committed to enabling rapid and affordable supply of the vaccine to affected countries and communities, should it prove safe and effective.
A positive outcome from this project could also lay the groundwork for expanding Minapharm’s vaccine manufacturing capabilities in the future, possibly with further support from CEPI and other partners.
To date, CETI’s Bundibugyo virus vaccine development programme has received funding from the European Commission (through its 2026 Horizon Europe grant to CEPI), the U.S Department of State, and CEPI’s existing core funding.
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