Funding request for EBO-PEP response to Bundibugyo outbreak in DRC

EDCTP funded the EBO-PEP project in 2024 to evaluate a post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) strategy against Ebola virus disease, establishing a robust outbreak research platform rapidly activatable across filovirus species. To respond to the current Bundibugyo (BVD) outbreak in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the consortium seeks to mobilise the infrastructure, partnerships, and operational capacities already in place. Obeldesivir (ODV), an orally administered broad-spectrum antiviral prioritized by the WHO R&D Blueprint, is evaluated as PEP in a randomized trial. Remdesivir (RDV) is proposed for vulnerable populations excluded from the randomized trial. EBO- PEP brings together African and European institutions with complementary expertise in filovirus research and clinical trial implementation in outbreak settings. The overall objective of this project is to increase the portfolio of therapeutic tools against BVD by evaluating a PEP strategy for high-risk contacts in Eastern DRC. The two specific objectives are: (i) to set up a randomised, placebo-controlled phase III trial in Eastern DRC to test the efficacy of ODV used as PEP for high-risk contacts; ii) to set up a parallel prospective interventional cohort to generate evidence on the safety, feasibility, and effectiveness of RDV as PEP in children under 12 years and pregnant or breastfeeding women.