HHS aids investigational Ebola vaccine production

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has earmarked $23 million to support the manufacturing of an investigational Ebola vaccine as a means of addressing the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) virus outbreak.

The effort will also meet domestic biodefense goals. The HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) will work with Merck & Co. Inc. to produce V920, which is known outside the United States and Canada as MSD.

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a component of ASPR, will provide the funding to generate Ebola vaccine doses over the next year, officials said, adding BARDA would also continue to work with Merck on advanced development of V920, also known as rVSV-ZEBOV, toward obtaining U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensure.

“The best way to protect people at home from Ebola is to stop the virus from spreading abroad, and effective vaccine is an essential tool in that effort,” BARDA Director Rick Bright said. “By ensuring that investigational vaccines continue to be available, we aid the global response and, simultaneously, help improve domestic preparedness.”

BARDA continues to work with federal and private sector partners to develop tests and therapeutic drugs to diagnose and treat Ebola disease while also partnering with Merck and other companies on Ebola vaccine development.