UNIVERSITY OF RWANDA

€15.3 Million ACT-CHIK Project Launches to Advance Chikungunya Vaccine Clinical Trials and Manufacturing in Africa

- A new €15.3 million EU-funded project, ACT-CHIK, will conduct a Phase Ib/III trial of the MV-CHIK chikungunya vaccine across Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal, enrolling 940 participants including adults, adolescents, and children. - The MV-CHIK vaccine uses a measles virus Schwarz strain vector and has demonstrated satisfactory safety and immunogenicity in six prior Phase I/II trials involving approximately 600 adults. - The four-year initiative will prepare technology transfer of vaccine manufacturing to Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Africa's only WHO-prequalified vaccine manufacturer, supporting the African Union's goal of producing 60% of vaccines locally by 2040. - The international consortium spans seven partners across four continents, coordinated by Institut Pasteur, with the International Vaccine Institute serving as clinical trial sponsor.