Ammon News - The U.S. plans to provide $50 million in funding to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to develop ​medical countermeasures to target the rare strain of Ebola ‌causing the current outbreak in Africa, the State Department said in a statement on Friday.

The funding will support laboratory studies and clinical trials of, as well as ​manufacturing for, medical countermeasure candidates for the Bundibugyo strain of ​Ebola. The new investment brings the State Department's total ⁠direct funding of the Ebola response to $270 million, it said.

CEPI said ​it has already committed over $60 million to support a portfolio of four ​vaccine candidates under development, and is evaluating other options.

"With no licensed vaccines against Bundibugyo virus, we must move at speed. This funding will help CEPI accelerate ​the development of life-saving countermeasures to control this outbreak and strengthen ​the world’s defenses against future Bundibugyo virus epidemics," Dr. Richard Hatchett, CEO of ‌CEPI ⁠said in a statement.

As of Friday, the Democratic Republic of Congo had reported 676 confirmed cases and 136 deaths in an outbreak that has also spread to neighboring Uganda, which has reported 19 cases. The ​disease went undetected ​for weeks and ⁠first responders say they are playing catch-up.

The U.S. State Department has said it was working closely with ​the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as ​well ⁠as the DRC and Uganda to "mount a rapid and comprehensive response" to the outbreak.

The administration's efforts have focused on keeping anyone potentially exposed to ⁠the ​virus overseas, even though the country has ​facilities equipped to treat Ebola cases while containing the spread of the virus.

Reuters