Target: Ebolavirus

Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV) is a deadly, zoonotic filovirus that causes Ebola virus disease. It was first identified during an outbreak in Bundibugyo District in 2007 and has recently caused an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda in May 2026. It is one of several known Ebola virus species capable of infecting humans. Infection can lead to severe symptoms including high fever, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, internal bleeding, and multi-organ failure, with outbreaks showing case fatality rates ranging from approximately 25% to over 40%.

The viral glycoprotein (GP) on the surface of Bundibugyo ebolavirus mediates attachment and entry into human cells by interacting with host attachment factors and intracellular receptors such as Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1), enabling infection of immune cells, endothelial cells, and multiple organ systems.

Today, several monoclonal antibody therapeutics targeting Ebola virus glycoproteins have demonstrated clinical promise, including Inmazeb and Ebanga for Zaire ebolavirus, but there is still a significant need for developing broadly protective therapeutics and antibodies specifically effective against Bundibugyo ebolavirus. We have generated >400 scFv candidates using our 🦋peleke-1 antibody language models.

So, we thought we’d give it try…