Health

WHO Expedites Mpox Vaccine Purchases Amid Global Emergency

Aug 23, 2024 1 min read

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern due to a surge in cases, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries. In response to the outbreak, the WHO has relaxed rules to allow partners such as Gavi and Unicef to purchase mpox vaccines before formal approval by the agency. This decision aims to expedite the distribution of vaccines in Africa. Two vaccines, developed by Denmark's Bavarian Nordic and Japan's KM Biologics, are already approved by various regulators and are expected to receive WHO emergency licenses in September.

Tonix Pharmaceuticals is developing a vaccine candidate, TNX-801, which has shown promise in non-human primate studies against the Clade 1 monkeypox virus, the strain responsible for the current outbreak. TNX-801 is based on the technology of Edward Jenner's smallpox vaccine and is designed to elicit a strong T-cell response, potentially providing durable immunity and preventing transmission. The vaccine does not require ultra-cold storage, making it suitable for global distribution. Tonix has also received a $34 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to develop a broad-spectrum antiviral.

#africa #coronavirus #smallpox #finance #markets

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