Merck & Co. Inc. has entered into a strategic collaboration with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to advance an updated version of its recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus–Zaire Ebola virus (rVSV-ZEBOV) vaccine. The $30 million program allocates $20 million from CEPI and $10 million in in-kind contributions from Merck, with the goal of reducing production costs by up to 50% and improving thermostability to facilitate distribution in low- and middle-income countries. Key milestones include completion of process optimization by Q4 2026 and submission of a comparability package to global regulators by mid-2027.

Under the agreement, Merck will transfer core vaccine manufacturing technology to at least two regional production sites in Africa, including the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (Senegal) and Biovac (South Africa). Technology transfer activities encompass scale-up of upstream bioreactor processes (from 50 L to 200 L) and downstream purification protocols designed to increase annual output from approximately 500,000 to 1.2 million doses. CEPI will coordinate training workshops for local technical staff, targeting full local production capabilities by the end of 2028.

Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda between 2018 and 2023 resulted in over 3,400 confirmed cases and nearly 2,300 deaths, underscoring the need for more accessible vaccines. By lowering per-dose cost from an estimated $300 to potentially under $150, Merck expects to expand vaccine coverage in high-risk regions and accelerate stockpile replenishment under the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use Listing mechanism. The partnership aligns with Merck’s broader global health strategy, which has channeled over $150 million into vaccine equity initiatives since 2021.