A vaccine for the often-fatal Marburg virus is under development, with researchers in Senegal making significant strides toward a potential solution. The virus, a relative of Ebola, causes severe hemorrhagic fever and has a fatality rate as high as 88%, posing a serious public health threat in Africa.
Researchers at the Institut Pasteur de Dakar in Senegal are working to finalize a candidate vaccine, building on technology transferred from a U.S.-based laboratory, Public Health Vaccines. This collaborative effort represents a key step toward bolstering the continent’s capacity for independent vaccine development and production.
“We are sent a process at the lab level on a modest scale, and our teams work to develop it on an industrial scale,” explained Dr. Marie-Angélique Sène, head of the vaccine research center. “We have already overcome most of the more complicated steps and are preparing to relaunch bioreactor runs to complete this process development and commence preparing for Phase 1 clinical trials.”
The official technology transfer took place in December 2025, though collaboration between the two teams began earlier. “We didn’t have researchers sent over there. They sent us all the protocols, the processes. We work together, we share the elements we’ve developed, and we validate together,” Dr. Sène said.
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“We cannot wait for tools to be developed by European laboratories”
This marks the first collaboration of its kind for a viral vaccine at the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, which already has a strong reputation for vaccine production, including those for measles and rubella, and serves as a collaborating center for the World Health Organization (WHO). Ndeye Marie Mba, head of the cell-based vaccine platform, explained the goal is to create a versatile system. “The idea with this platform is really to be able to use the same method to produce vaccines, and in a very short time. This allows us, once we have mastered this platform, to be able to switch with any vaccine of current interest.”
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Marburg fever currently affects around 20 African countries, including Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Equatorial Guinea. This underscores the importance of developing local solutions, as emphasized by Dr. Ibrahima Fall, Director General of the Institut Pasteur de Dakar.
“We cannot wait for diseases like this to be diagnosed by European laboratories, or for tools to be developed by European laboratories,” Dr. Fall stated. “Local production is essential in terms of health sovereignty. We saw this during the pandemic, when the entire global supply system was completely at a standstill. Without local production, it was difficult to access vaccines.”
The vaccine is ultimately intended to be produced at the Diamniadio vaccine center, located on the outskirts of Dakar. The Institut Pasteur de Dakar anticipates the vaccine will be affordable, increasing access to this critical preventative measure.
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