CEPI backs Minapharm’s Bundibugyo ebolavirus vaccine candidate, based on ProBioGen’s proprietary MVA-CR19 platform
OSLO, Norway, CAIRO and BERLIN, Aug. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Leading African biopharmaceutical company Minapharm Group, headquartered in Egypt with subsidiaries in Berlin, will receive up to US$16.5 million from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to advance the development of a Bundibugyo ebolavirus vaccine candidate, strengthening efforts to develop vaccines to combat the fastest-growing and second-largest Ebola outbreak on record affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Minapharm’s Bundibugyo vaccine is designed by ProBioGen, a Berlin-based specialist within Minapharm Group, based on their proprietary modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccine platform, MVA-CR19. A similar technology underpins a licensed vaccine against smallpox and mpox, and has elicited long-term immunity in a vaccine targeting the related Zaire ebolavirus.
CEPI’s funding will advance the Bundibugyo vaccine candidate through preclinical development and into an early-stage clinical trial to assess the immunogenicity and safety of the vaccine candidate. The study in humans, known as a Phase 1 trial, is expected to take place in Africa.
Minapharm’s investigational vaccine becomes the fifth Bundibugyo-specific virus vaccine candidate supported by CEPI in response to the escalating epidemic. It joins a portfolio of promising CEPI-backed candidates* built on different vaccine technologies to maximise the likelihood of developing a safe and effective shot that could help bring this devastating crisis under control.
It is the only Bundibugyo vaccine candidate CEPI is funding that is designed to induce both B- and T-cell responses for comprehensive and long-lasting immunity.
“CEPI’s funding to Minapharm harnesses the growing strength of African-led innovation to help confront this increasingly severe outbreak and prepare for future threats”, said Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI. “In just three months, cases of Bundibugyo have spread rapidly across the DRC, making this the largest and deadliest outbreak the country has ever faced. We are proud to support Minapharm’s Bundibugyo vaccine candidate: it will round out CEPI’s portfolio, give the world another shot on goal, and advance Minapharm’s proprietary MVA platform, which if successful can serve as the basis for future African-manufactured filovirus vaccines. The faster we can advance a pipeline of promising candidates, the better our chances of saving lives and bringing this epidemic under control.”
CEPI’s goal is to bring at least two Bundibugyo vaccines to Emergency Use Authorisation and WHO Prequalification to respond to this outbreak, while also building readiness for future Bundibugyo epidemics.
Dr. Wafik Bardissi, Group Chairman and CEO of Minapharm and Chairman of ProBioGen, said: “For more than 25 years, Minapharm has built proven biologics capabilities in Egypt and, together with ProBioGen, established a cross-continental group model combining scientific innovation, proprietary technologies and advanced biomanufacturing.”
Dr. Bardissi added: “This programme demonstrates the strength of our capabilities across the full biologics continuum, from design and development through to manufacturing, in response to an urgent public-health threat. With CEPI’s support, we are turning scientific ingenuity into health sovereignty, drawing on the breadth of our technologies and know-how to advance a vaccine response for Africa.”
“ProBioGen’s MVA-CR19 platform was developed to enable rapid generation of recombinant MVA vaccine candidates and scalable manufacturing,” said Dr Volker Sandig, Chief Scientific Officer of ProBioGen. “We are proud to bring this platform and our CMC expertise to a Minapharm-led programme supported by CEPI, helping advance a Bundibugyo ebolavirus vaccine candidate towards clinical evaluation in response to an urgent public-health need.”
Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General, Africa CDC, said, “Bundibugyo virus is now driving the largest Ebola outbreak DRC has ever faced. A vaccine candidate advanced 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 toward that health sovereignty.”
To develop the Bundibugyo-specific vaccine candidate, ProBioGen —a wholly-owned subsidiary of Minapharm based in Germany—will generate the recombinant MVA drug substance under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines. The drug substance is the active component of a vaccine which includes viral proteins that could train the immune system to recognise and fight a specific pathogen – in this case, Bundibugyo ebolavirus. The drug substance will then be shipped to Minapharm’s facility in Cairo, Egypt, to create the drug product – the finished vaccine mixture which combines the drug substance with other vaccine ingredients and packaging ready for testing. In parallel, Minapharm plans to transfer drug substance manufacturing to its biotechnology facilities in Cairo, enabling fully local drug substance and drug product manufacturing.
The project leverages more than 25 years of Minapharm’s proven track record and experience in the development, end-to-end manufacturing and commercialisation of complex biologics in Africa.
If the Phase 1 trial of the vaccine candidate is successful, CEPI anticipates working with Minapharm and ProBioGen to support late-stage trials to generate efficacy data for emergency use authorisation and licensure. CEPI, Minapharm and ProBioGen are committed to enabling rapid, affordable supply of the vaccine to affected countries and to the populations that need them should it prove safe and effective.
A positive outcome from this project could also lay the foundation for the future expansion of Minapharm’s vaccine manufacturing capabilities, potentially with support from CEPI and other partners.
To date, CEPI’s Bundibugyo virus vaccine development programme receives funds from the European Commission through its 2026 grant under Horizon Europe to CEPI, the U.S. Department of State and CEPI’s existing core funding.
Notes to Editors
CEPI’s funding was awarded to Minapharm for its Bundibugyo vaccine project following its application to CEPI’s Call for Proposals seeking vaccine developers to advance the development of Bundibugyo vaccine candidates.
MVA-C19 platform
MVA-CR19 is ProBioGen’s proprietary modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vaccine platform. MVA is a highly attenuated poxvirus vector that is replication-deficient in human cells: it can enter cells and express the vaccine antigens it carries, but cannot multiply or spread. ProBioGen’s platform combines the MVA-CR19 strain with its AGE1 production cell line platform and TetherexX™ recombination technology to support rapid recombinant MVA generation and scalable manufacturing.
The MVA platform holds potential as it has a well-established safety profile in people. Alongside studies demonstrating long-lasting immunity in people vaccinated with MVA-based mpox and Zaire ebolavirus vaccines, positive data has also been obtained in preclinical studies of MVA vaccines targeting Sudan ebolavirus, Marburg virus and other infectious diseases. The technology was also safe for use in immunosuppressed individuals and people living with HIV vaccinated with MVA-based vaccines targeting other diseases.
CEPI’s response to the Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak
*CEPI has worked around the clock with its partners to respond to the Bundibugyo outbreak, announcing its first Bundibugyo vaccine development partnerships just two weeks after the declaration of the outbreak in mid-May. CEPI has to date already invested in Bundibugyo vaccines being developed using mRNA (Moderna), ChAdOx (the University of Oxford/ Serum Institute of India) and rVSV (IAVI with manufacturing by Hilleman Laboratories, and Public Health Vaccines) technologies.
To accelerate outbreak response efforts, CEPI has also activated its global networks of laboratories, manufacturers and clinical trial partners, is supporting a clinical trial to evaluate potential treatments and engaging regulators to align on vaccine approval pathways. In parallel, CEPI is working with partners including affected countries, Gavi, Africa CDC, WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank and development finance institutions so the downstream conditions needed to enable equitable access—including procurement, allocation and deployment—are put in place.
About CEPI
CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic and civil organisations. Its mission is to accelerate the development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats so they can be accessible to all people in need. Central to CEPI’s pandemic-beating plan is the ’100 Days Mission’ to develop safe, effective and accessible vaccines against new threats in just 100 days. CEPI is seeking $2.5 billion to execute CEPI 3.0, its 2027-2031 strategy which will systematically reduce the likelihood, impact and cost of epidemics and pandemics by driving the 100 Days Mission towards an operational reality. Learn more at CEPI.net.
About Minapharm
Minapharm is a leading pharmaceutical company in Egypt and the Middle East and the largest biopharmaceutical company in Africa, with over 25 years of experience in cellular and bioprocess engineering. Headquartered in Cairo, the Group develops, manufactures and commercializes a broad portfolio spanning complex small molecules, recombinant proteins, and monoclonal antibodies, supported by an extensive pipeline of genetically engineered medicines and cell and gene therapies. Minapharm operates seven manufacturing facilities and commercializes more than 100 life-saving and life-enhancing products. Its two biotechnology facilities in Cairo are the region’s longest-established end-to-end drug substance and drug product operations, from cell line to finished vial. Together with its wholly owned Berlin-based subsidiary, ProBioGen AG, Minapharm has built an integrated biopharmaceutical model spanning research, proprietary technology, development and manufacturing. Through its subsidiary, ProBioGen, the Group is a global provider of proprietary technologies for vaccines, complex proteins, and cell and gene therapies, which have contributed to multiple FDA-approved products. Minapharm employs a combined workforce of more than 1,700 people and is listed on the Egyptian Exchange (EGX: MIPH). Learn more at minapharm.com
About ProBioGen
ProBioGen is a Berlin-based expert in the development and manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals, viral vectors, and vaccines, powered by proprietary technologies that enhance product quality and features. It has developed multiple innovative vaccine platforms, including Lenti.RiGHT®, AGE1 host cell lines and the IP-protected MVA-CR19 strain, which has a unique genomic signature. Operating for over 30 years, ProBioGen runs three manufacturing lines in Berlin, where 300 employees contribute to advancing next-generation therapies and global biotech innovation. For more information about ProBioGen, follow us on LinkedIn.
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