Three new studies advance antibody-based approaches against Bundibugyo ebolavirus

Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) belongs to the group of orthoebolaviruses and can cause severe and potentially fatal disease. To date, no specific treatment or post-exposure prophylaxis has been approved for BDBV infection.

The new findings are particularly relevant in light of the ongoing Bundibugyo virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The outbreak, first detected in May 2026, has developed into the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the country and has spread across several provinces. By early September, more than 6,000 confirmed infections and more than 3,000 deaths had been reported.

MBP134 following high-risk exposure

In the first Nature Medicine study, five family members of a healthcare worker infected with Bundibugyo virus received a single dose of the experimental antibody cocktail MBP134 after high- to intermediate-risk exposure. All five, including four children, remained free of clinical or laboratory evidence of BDBV disease during follow-up. The findings provide first clinical data supporting further evaluation of MBP134 as post-exposure prophylaxis.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04664-4

Experimental treatment of Bundibugyo virus disease

A second Nature Medicine study describes the clinical course of the infected healthcare worker treated at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. The patient received MBP134 together with remdesivir and supportive care and subsequently recovered. The case provides rare clinical data on the treatment and immune response during BDBV infection.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04663-5

A broadly neutralizing antibody against multiple orthoebolaviruses

In a separate bioRxiv preprint, Paulina Tarnow and colleagues identified B10, a broadly neutralizing antibody isolated from an rVSV-EBOV-vaccinated individual. B10 potently neutralized Ebola virus, Bundibugyo virus and Sudan virus and showed protective activity in animal models.

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.28.747769v1

Paulina, Henning, Matthias and Florian contributed to these studies together with colleagues from Charité Berlin and other collaborators.