Chinese Ebola vaccine starts clinical trials in W Africa

A vaccine against Ebola developed in China, which is the first based on the virus strain responsible for the West African outbreak in 2014, has entered its second phase in a clinical trial in Sierra Leone, scientists say.
Chen Wei, a researcher at the Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology of the Academy of Military Medical Sciences in China, said that dozens of volunteers recruited from among local people have been given the shots to test the vaccine's safety and effectiveness since October 11.
Wei's team developed the vaccine against the deadly virus with partner Tianjin CanSino Biotechnology.
The ongoing trial in Africa followed the first phase of testing, which was conducted in China using Chinese and African volunteers.

To bring the trial to Africa, the team went through rigorous reviews of intellectual property rights, technology and ethics, and over the weekend the team was given approval by authorities in Sierra Leone to conduct the trial, Wei was quoted as saying by 'China Daily'.
Since March last year, Ebola has infected 28,000 people and killed at least 11,300 in an outbreak mainly in West Africa, including Sierra Leone, according to the World Health Organisation.

The Chinese vaccine candidate is based on the mutant gene type from last year and especially targets the strain that hit West Africa.
The vaccine is in the form of a freeze-dried powder that will be stable for at least two weeks in temperatures of up to 37 degrees Celsius, state-run 'Xinhua' news agency reported.

China is the third country to put an Ebola vaccine into clinical trials following the US and Canada.
The other vaccines are based on a gene type from the 1976 outbreak and are in liquid form and must be stored at minus 80 degrees Celsius.