New York, January 7 (RHC)-- The U.S. pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson says it has begun human trials on a possible vaccine for the Ebola virus, which is ravaging West Africa. The U.S.-based company made the announcement on Tuesday, adding that the Oxford Vaccine Group at Britain's Oxford University is carrying out the Phase I testing.

"We aim to immunize all participants within a month," said Dr. Matthew Snape from the Oxford Vaccine Group, adding, "The main aim is to understand the safety profile of the vaccines." The tests will reportedly be carried out on 72 healthy volunteers.

Johnson & Johnson added that it will spend up to $200 million by the end of October to hasten and expand its Ebola vaccine program. The company, based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, said it has already produced over 400,000 regimens, and by the end of the year two million courses will be ready.

On Monday, the World Health Organization said that so far 8,153 people had died from the 20,656 known cases of Ebola.