The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has committed $30 million to support an updated Zaire ebolavirus vaccine aimed at improving affordability, accessibility, and sustainability for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The collaboration brings together CEPI, global biopharmaceutical company MSD, and Hilleman Laboratories to update the manufacturing process of MSD’s WHO-prequalified Ebola vaccine and address long-standing barriers related to cost, scale, and cold-chain requirements that have limited wider deployment in outbreak-prone, low-resource settings across Africa.

In a statement issued on Friday, CEPI CEO Dr Richard Hatchett said that in a single decade, the world has transformed Ebola from a global emergency to a disease that can be stopped in its tracks. He added that CEPI’s support will help ensure a sustainable and accessible supply of MSD’s Zaire ebolavirus vaccine for years to come at a more affordable price.

He said, “This deal brings together longstanding partners of CEPI with longstanding partners of MSD to boost global defences against one of the deadliest pathogens known to humankind, helping to save lives.

“The existing MSD Zaire ebolavirus vaccine was developed during the 2014–16 West African Ebola crisis. Its manufacturing process is complex and potentially vulnerable to supply disruptions, making the vaccine expensive to produce and difficult to scale. In addition, the vaccine must be stored in freezers at ultra-low temperatures of -70°C, creating substantial logistical challenges in the often remote, low-resource settings where Ebola outbreaks typically occur.”

CEPI said the collaboration aims to update the manufacturing process to increase yield and improve the vaccine’s shelf life at 2–8°C.

It added that technical improvements could reduce production costs and allow the vaccine to be stored in a regular refrigerator for several months, making it easier to deploy in outbreak settings, subject to regulatory review and public health requirements.
Chirfi Guindo, Chief Marketing Officer, Human Health, MSD, and MSD Shareholder Executive Leader, Hilleman Laboratories, said that MSD will provide critical technical expertise and ongoing support to Hilleman Laboratories, while exploring options for making the updated vaccine available to public-sector buyers in low- and middle-income countries at a significantly more affordable price than the current vaccine, reflecting the anticipated reduction in production costs and subject to regulatory review.

He said, “We believe strategic partnerships are essential to addressing some of the world’s most serious health threats, and we appreciate CEPI’s support of Hilleman Laboratories’ pioneering work in vaccine development for diseases affecting people in low- and middle-income countries.

“This updated manufacturing process seeks to enable Hilleman to develop and deliver a scalable Zaire ebolavirus vaccine with potential for improved thermostability, tailored for outbreak response and prevention. Hilleman, an innovative collaboration between MSD and Wellcome, exemplifies the best of the philanthropic and private sectors.”

Hilleman Laboratories CEO, Dr Raman Rao, said collaboration is at the heart of the organisation’s strategy to tackle diseases that cause frequent outbreaks in low- and middle-income countries. He commended CEPI for expanding its well-established support for Ebola vaccine research and development, stressing that advancing outbreak preparedness through the updated vaccine has the potential to save lives and prevent suffering in countries most at risk.

CEPI’s investment will support Hilleman Laboratories in the clinical development of the updated vaccine, while SK Bioscience and IDT Biologika will develop the updated drug substance process and associated drug product.

Jaeyong Ahn, CEO of SK Bioscience, emphasised that addressing deadly infectious diseases such as Ebola requires strong global collaboration. He said that through this CEPI-supported partnership, SK Bioscience will continue to play a critical role in improving Zaire ebolavirus vaccine manufacturing and supply, contributing meaningfully to global health preparedness.

Under the arrangement, CEPI will also fund a Phase 3 immunobridging clinical trial in African countries where the current vaccine is approved for use, subject to ethical and regulatory approvals. The trial will evaluate the immune response generated by the updated vaccine and compare it with that of the current licensed vaccine to infer efficacy.

MSD’s WHO-prequalified Ebola vaccine is recommended to protect against Zaire ebolavirus, which has a survival rate of around 50% and causes frequent and unpredictable outbreaks in Africa, including a recent 2025 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A global stockpile of the vaccine is used for outbreak response and preventive use for frontline and healthcare workers. The new collaboration seeks to overcome barriers to accessibility and sustainability.

Researchers expect the updated process to make large-scale vaccine production easier. In the event of another outbreak on the scale of the 2014–16 West African epidemic, rapid production of large quantities could help prevent virus spread and reduce societal and economic impact. It could also expand preventive vaccination for health and frontline workers in regions most at risk, consistent with WHO SAGE recommendations.

CEPI, launched in 2017 in response to the West African Ebola epidemic, aims to accelerate the development of vaccines against epidemic and pandemic threats. It has supported research to expand access to Ebola vaccines for vulnerable populations, including children aged 12 months and older and people living with HIV.