University of Antwerp
Belgian public research university sponsoring a Bundibugyo vaccine trial in DR Congo.
In 2026, the University of Antwerp sponsored a phase 2/3 Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine trial planned for 3,620 contacts.
Last refreshed: 22 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Can the Antwerp-sponsored trial establish an effective Bundibugyo vaccine during the current outbreak?
Timeline for University of Antwerp
Registered a Bundibugyo vaccine efficacy trial with INRB
Pandemics and Biosecurity: Ebola hits an eighth DR Congo provinceBackground
The University of Antwerp is a public research university in Antwerp, Belgium. It conducts teaching and research across medicine, health sciences, natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities. Its medical work includes laboratory studies and clinical research carried out with institutions in other countries.
A university can act as the sponsor of a clinical trial. The sponsor takes responsibility for the study's design, governance, quality and regulatory duties, while investigators and partner institutions deliver the work at individual sites. This role differs from manufacturing a medicine or providing routine care.
International clinical research lets the university combine academic expertise in Belgium with local knowledge and patient access at partner sites. Such studies require ethics review, a defined protocol, safety monitoring and reliable collection of comparable data. The university's durable significance is therefore both educational and institutional: it trains students, produces research and can carry legal responsibility for complex studies beyond Belgium.
What is the University of Antwerp?
Why is the University of Antwerp involved in the Ebola response?
How large is the University of Antwerp’s Bundibugyo vaccine trial?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 22 October 2026. Editorial standards.