Global health experts have prioritized several antiviral drugs and monoclonal antibodies for clinical trials against Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), following a technical meeting convened to review potential medical countermeasures for the rare Ebola strain.
The meeting focused on the current landscape of therapeutics for Bundibugyo virus disease and reviewed evidence for specific products including remdesivir, obeldesivir, MBP-134, maftivimab and Inmazeb.
Experts also discussed next steps for integrating the products into clinical trial protocols for treatment and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), according to the meeting report.
A follow-up meeting held on May 26 with biotechnology company Regeneron sought clarification on preclinical evidence and dosing considerations for maftivimab.
The Technical Advisory Group reviewed available evidence using peer-reviewed literature, submissions from industry and input from academic institutions within the research and development blueprint network.
Presentations were made by representatives from Gilead Sciences on remdesivir and obeldesivir, MappBio on MBP-134, and Regeneron on maftivimab and Inmazeb.
Experts noted that current therapeutic candidates are at different stages of development and that major gaps remain in scientific knowledge about Bundibugyo virus disease, including a lack of clinical evidence for treatment.
The review therefore focused on products with available preclinical evidence and safety data. In some cases, evidence from Ebola virus disease treatment and other viral diseases was also considered.
The advisory group concluded that both small-molecule antivirals and monoclonal antibodies should be considered for treatment and post-exposure prophylaxis against Bundibugyo virus disease.
Remdesivir and its oral counterpart obeldesivir were identified as promising candidates because of their antiviral activity against Bundibugyo virus and effectiveness in non-human primate studies involving related filoviruses.
Experts said remdesivir already has extensive clinical safety data and should be considered for treatment trials in patients with confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease. The group also recommended studying remdesivir in combination with monoclonal antibody therapies.
Obeldesivir, an oral antiviral, was highlighted as an attractive option for post-exposure prophylaxis because of its ease of administration. Experts recommended prioritizing it for clinical evaluation.
The meeting also identified MBP-134 as a leading monoclonal antibody candidate. The therapy, developed as a potential pan-ebolavirus treatment, has shown protection against Bundibugyo virus, Sudan virus and Ebola virus in monkey studies.
Maftivimab, one of the components of Inmazeb, was also prioritized after experts reviewed evidence showing broad laboratory activity against multiple Ebola viruses. Inmazeb previously demonstrated clinical effectiveness during the PALM clinical trial conducted during the 2018 Ebola outbreak and was later approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Ebola treatment.
The advisory group concluded that MBP-134, maftivimab and remdesivir should be prioritized for inclusion in clinical trials for Bundibugyo virus disease. Combination therapy using remdesivir and monoclonal antibodies was also recommended.
For post-exposure prophylaxis, experts prioritized the oral antiviral obeldesivir for further clinical evaluation.
Bundibugyo virus is one of the species of Ebola virus known to cause severe hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in humans. Uganda first identified Bundibugyo Ebola virus in 2007 during an outbreak in Bundibugyo District in western Uganda.
Citation: WHO Technical Advisory Group on therapeutics prioritization for Bundibugyo virus disease: meeting report, 20 and 26 May 2026. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2026. https://doi.org/10.2471/B09767
