The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) recently announced the initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of two potential Ebola vaccine candidates. The trial represents a significant step forward in the quest to curb future outbreaks of the disease. 

The public health crisis sparked by the rapid spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa in 2014 and 2015 was a powerful demonstration of how infectious diseases and other biological threats can present difficult challenges for public health systems. The Department of Defense (DoD) was instrumental in efforts by the U.S. Government and the global health community to rapidly respond to Ebola, providing essential manpower and logistical support for the development of on-the-ground capacity for treatment and containment of the virus. 

But, as the old adage goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The successful development of an effective vaccine regimen to protect against the Ebola virus would serve as a tremendous global health victory, and Army researchers at WRAIR are committed to pursuing this goal. 

In addition to bolstering the health system capacity of partner nations that are most at risk of future outbreaks of the virus, a vaccine would also be an important tool for force health protection, a key priority for DoD and the Military Health System (MHS). 

Researchers conducting the study will assess the viability of vaccine candidates developed by two private biotechnology firms, Crucell Holland B.V. and Bavarian Nordic. Some of the initial research was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which, when taken together with the clinical trials being conducted by WRAIR, provides a prime example of the whole of government approach that the United States takes in addressing global health issues. 

The study will seek to strengthen evidence for the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine regimens in healthy subjects. A vaccine’s immunogenicity refers to its ability to generate a response in a patient’s immune system, a critical element in ensuring that the patient will successfully develop the necessary antibodies to protect against the virus in the future. 

Spearheading the study are researchers and physicians with WRAIR’s Military HIV Research Program (MHRP). The expanded phase 2 clinical trials will include some volunteers with stably-suppressed HIV infections because they represent some of those who might benefit from a preventive Ebola vaccine in Africa. “It’s an important consideration given that both of these viruses can be present in the same communities,” says Col. Nelson Michael, MHRP Director. 

Initially conducted at WRAIR’s facility in Silver Spring, Md., the study will expand to six sites in Africa in early 2016. Approximately 575 volunteers will participate in total. It will leverage WRAIR’s extensive clinical research assets at sites affiliated with MHRP in Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique. 

This is the second Ebola vaccine clinical trial conducted at WRAIR, and will be the fourth Ebola vaccine study conducted in Africa by the Institute and MHRP. 

“The Military Health System has an important role to play in supporting our Service members and in ensuring global health security by aiding in the development of an Ebola vaccine,” says Col. Dana K. Renta, Commander of WRAIR. “The men and women of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and the Military HIV Research Program are proud to contribute to those goals.” 

About the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research 

Headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, and established in 1893, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) is the oldest, largest, and most diverse military research institute of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and Department of Defense.  With extensive research units in Africa, Asia and the Caucasus Region, WRAIR is comprised of two Centers of Excellence, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and the Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience. 

To learn more about this and other research initiatives, visit WRAIR or its Clinical Trials Center or MHRP webpages.