The Democratic Republic of Congo and Russia have discussed ways to accelerate the registration of an Ebola vaccine, according to Sharjah24. The report, published on Friday, gives no further detail on the talks or on which vaccine was under discussion.
The discussion comes as a new Ebola vaccine trial gets under way in DR Congo. The head of the World Health Organization announced the start of the trial, Channels Television reported. Premium Times Nigeria reported that the trial began as the outbreak's death toll passed 4,600.
Regulatory work around Ebola vaccines is also moving on other fronts. The European Medicines Agency and its African counterpart have issued joint guidance on clinical trials for Ebola vaccines, according to RAPS. Shoreline Media Group, meanwhile, published an explainer on the new vaccine featuring the doctor who helped design it.
The figures reported by Premium Times Nigeria point to the scale of the current outbreak and help explain why Congolese authorities are looking at ways to shorten the path from trial to approved use. The Sharjah24 report does not say what stage the registration discussions have reached, whether any agreement was signed, or when further meetings might take place.
What to watch next: whether the trial produces results that regulators can act on, and whether the registration talks between DR Congo and Russia lead to a formal arrangement.
