Bavarian Nordic narrows focus to meet demand for mpox vaccine in Africa

The WHO declares a state of emergency in Africa as mpox cases rise, and vaccine maker Bavarian Nordic works with institutions and government bodies to ensure equitable access to treatment. 

In May 2023 the decline in cases globally meant the PHEIC was declared over. However, after a recent sustained surge in cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a rising number of countries in Africa, and some other countries further than the continent, the declaration has been reinstated. 

In declaring the PHEIC, Dr Tedros, Director-General of the WHO, stated: "The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries are very worrying. On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.”

In June 2024, Bavarian Nordic joined efforts to combat the mpox outbreak across Africa. The MVA-BN vaccine was approved for emergency use in 2022 for mpox, after being in circulation for the treatment of smallpox since 2019. It is the only vaccine for mpox approved for emergency use by the US FDA and the EMA. On the 13th September, the WHO announced that the vaccine would be the first vaccine for mpox to be added to their prequalification list. This approval will accelerate the distribution and use of the vaccine in the communities that urgently need it, and will hopefully limit the spread of the virus. 

“This first prequalification of a vaccine against mpox is an important step in our fight against the disease, both in the context of the current outbreaks in Africa, and in future,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “We now need urgent scale up in procurement, donations and rollout to ensure equitable access to vaccines where they are needed most, alongside other public health tools, to prevent infections, stop transmission and save lives.”

Bavarian Nordic has been working with several organisations to provide equitable access to the vaccine across Africa, including HERA, GAVI, UNICEF, and Africa CDC. In early September the first doses of the vaccine arrived in the DRC, from donations from the European Commission, the US Government, and Bavarian Nordic. 500,000 further doses have been pledged from other countries. UNICEF has requested that 2 million doses be supplied in 2024, and Bavarian Nordic has stated that by focusing all their attention on the current crisis they should be able to fulfil this demand, and 13 million doses in 2025. 

Paul Chaplin, President & CEO of Bavarian Nordic, commented: “As the supplier of the only non-replicating mpox vaccine that has shown to be highly effective during an mpox outbreak, we have been working closely with all governments and organizations to support the international efforts to combat the latest public health emergency. Just as during the outbreak in 2022/23, we will support all requests for vaccine and have already secured agreements and submitted responses to the UNICEF tender that will hopefully secure more access to MVA-BN globally. We remain committed to the equitable access either through prioritizing our own capacity, accelerating planned improvements in the manufacturing process and by exploring ways to further expand capacity through partnerships around the globe. Once again Bavarian Nordic, through innovation and our commitment to improving and saving lives has stepped forward as an important part of the international community’s response to the current public health emergency.”

Sources: 

1. WHO. WHO Director-General declares mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. [Date accessed 16/09/2024] www.who.int/news/item/14-08-2024-who-director-general-declares-mpox-outbreak-a-public-health-emergency-of-international-concern

2. Bavarian Nordic. Bavarian Nordic Joins Global Efforts to Fight Mpox Outbreak in Africa. [Date accessed 16/09/2024] www.bavarian-nordic.com/investor/news/news.aspx?news=6962

3. Bavarian Nordic. Bavarian Nordic Provides Update on the Mpox Vaccine Supply Situation. [Date accessed 16/09/2024] www.bavarian-nordic.com/investor/news/news.aspx?news=6989