To tackle the Mpox outbreak and the global vaccine shortage, the Serum Institute of India on Monday it is currently working to develop a vaccine for mpox, with positive outcomes expected in a year.
“In view of the global health emergency declared due to Mpox outbreak, Serum Institute of India is currently working on developing a vaccine for this disease to cater to millions of lives that might be at risk,” Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla said in a statement.
Mpox, formerly monkeypox, is a viral disease transmitted through physical contact with an infected person, animal or contaminated objects. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that only individuals at risk of exposure to Mpox should be considered for vaccination. Travellers who may be at risk, based on an individual risk assessment with their healthcare provider, may consider getting vaccinated.
The UN health agency recommends several vaccines for use against Mpox. However, it is currently not recommending mass vaccination like it was done during the COVID-19 global pandemic. The global health body recommends the use of MVA-BN (Modified Vaccinia Ankara-BavarianvNordic) or LC16 vaccines, or the ACAM2000 vaccine if other vaccines are not available.
Vaccines used against smallpox, ACAM2000 and JYNNEOS, are licensed in the US to protect against Mpox. JYNNEOS is also approved in the EU. ACAM2000, a second-generation vaccine from Emergent BioSolutions, is available for Mpox under an Expanded Access Investigational New Drug (EA-IND) protocol.
Bavarian Nordic of Denmark, a leader in smallpox and Mpox vaccines has launched the new-generation JYNNEOS vaccine. The company announced it can produce 10 million doses by the end of 2025, with up to two million doses available this year. Since 2022, Bavarian Nordic has built a vaccine inventory for potential outbreaks and plans to increase production. In 2022-23, it supplied five million doses of the Mpox vaccine to 76 countries, contributing to the containment of the outbreak.
Emergent BioSolutions, maker of the ACAM2000 vaccine, announced it is donating 50,000 doses to help control the Mpox outbreak in Africa. The company has existing inventory and can increase supply by up to 40 million doses if needed. ACAM2000, a primary smallpox vaccine for bioterrorism emergencies, is supplied to the US Strategic National Stockpile and is also licensed in Canada, Australia, and Singapore. Japanese company KM Biologics manufactures the LC16 vaccine, which is stockpiled in Japan.
Mpox is considered to be endemic in Central and West Africa with outbreaks caused by different Mpox viruses called clades. The clade 1 strain has been circulating in the DRC for years. The emergence of a new offshoot – clade 1b – and the swift spread of the new virulent strain of the mpox virus across Africa led to the WHO declaring that mpox constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.
