UNICEF issues emergency tender to secure mpox vaccines (OTCQX:RHHBY)

UNICEF has issued an emergency tender for the purchase of mpox vaccines for the most affected countries in collaboration with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization and other partners.

In a joint statement, the organizations said that depending on demand and manufacturers’ production capacity, agreements could be in place to provide up to 12 million doses through 2025.

Under the emergency tender, UNICEF will enter into conditional supply agreements with vaccine manufacturers. This will allow the agency to procure and ship vaccines without delay once countries and partners have funding and meet demand, readiness and regulatory requirements.

This collaboration will allow vaccines to be donated from existing stockpiles in high-income countries.

According to statementWHO is currently reviewing the information provided by manufacturers on August 23, and is expected to complete its review for inclusion of the product on the emergency use list by mid-September.

In August, the World Health Organization declared the ongoing outbreak a global public health emergency after the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the regional health agency, classified it as a public health emergency threatening continental security, and appealed for 10 million doses of the mpox vaccine.

The international response plan to combat the ongoing bird flu outbreak will require nearly $135 million over the next six months as a new, more deadly strain of the virus spreads globally, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Countries such as Sweden and Thailand have already reported cases of mpox attributed to the 1b strain of the virus, which led to a recent outbreak in Africa. The 1b strain is believed to be more transmissible and more deadly than the mild 2b strain, which led to a previous mpox outbreak in 2022.

Vaccine Related Stocks

Companies developing the mpox vaccine include Bavarian Nordic (OTCPK:BVNKF) (OTCPK:BVNRY), Emergent BioSolutions (New York: EBS), and Chimerix (NASDAQ:CMRX).

mpox treatment developers: GeoVax Labs (NASDAQ: GOVX), Sega Technology Corporation (NASDAQ: SEGA), and Tonix Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: TNXB).

Monkeypox test makers: Co-Diagnostics (NASDAQ:CODX), Roche (OTCQX:RHHBY) (OTCQX:RHHBF), Abbott Laboratories (New York:ABT), Applied DNA Sciences (NASDAQ:IBDN)