Press Releases

Grameen Foundation plays important role in development of Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies’ newly approved Ebola vaccine

We are pleased to announce that the European Commission (EC) has granted Marketing Authorisation to Janssen for a new Ebola vaccine.

Grameen Foundation played an important role in supporting the development of this vaccine. In response to the West Africa Ebola crisis, we collaborated in a unique, multi-partner global effort to accelerate the vaccine through multiple clinical trials across three continents. To learn more about EBODAC and Grameen's participation, read https://grameenfoundation.org/stories/blog/winning-the-war-against-ebola-requires-a-two-front-battle.

The two-dose Ebola vaccine regimen,Zabdeno®(Ad26.ZEBOV) and Mvabea®(MVA-BN-Filo), has been developed by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson for the prevention of Ebola Virus Disease caused by the Zaire ebolavirus species.The vaccine regimen leveraged Janssen’sAdVac® vaccine technology, plus Bavarian Nordic’s established MVA-BN®technology. It is specifically designed to induce long-term immunity against the Ebola virus in adults and children aged one year and above. As such, it can be used to support preventive vaccination in countries most at risk of outbreaks.

We are delighted by today’s approval of this Ebola vaccine, which has already been deployed in the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), following recommendation from the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE), and in Rwanda –following conditional approval in 2019 under an ‘exceptional emergency’ –as part of outbreak containment efforts in the region.

With the world currently focused on stopping the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for safe and effective vaccines to protect vulnerable populations from emerging infectious diseases has never been more apparent. We are proud to have been a part of this journey,which marks a significant moment in the ongoing public health effort with the aim to prevent new Ebola outbreaks before they start.

To find out more about Johnson & Johnson’s efforts to address Ebola, please visit: https://www.jnj.com/ebola.