Mpox vaccine update: Serum Institute of India inks deal with Bavarian Nordic to produce the jab

Denmark's Bavarian Nordic has reached an agreement with the Serum Institute of India Pvt, to produce the Danish biotech firm’s mpox vaccine.

Bavarian Nordic confirmed in a statement on Monday that it will transfer technology to the Serum Institute, enabling the vaccine producer to supply shots for the Indian market, reported Bloomberg.

Additionally, the agreement will allow the Serum Institute to undertake contract manufacturing for Bavarian Nordic, helping to expand its global production capacity.

Bavarian Nordic's contract

The license agreement with the Serum Institute is based on a profit-sharing model with no associated upfront or milestone payments, Bavarian said, reported Bloomberg. Bavarian shares fell as much as 3% in early trading. The stock is up about 9% since the start of the year.

More than 65,700 cases of mpox have been reported this year, mostly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with about 1,200 people dying from the disease in the African country.

Mpox virus strains

The mpox virus is classified into two main clades, I and II, with each further divided into clade Ia. The newly identified clade Ib, and clades IIa and IIb, were responsible for the 2022 global outbreak.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the ongoing global outbreak of clade II mpox has been reported in 122 countries. The number includes 115 nations where mpox had never been reported before.

How does mpox spread

A mutated strain of the monkeypox virus, which causes mpox, has been detected in several African countries, as well as in the US, UK, and Thailand, reported Bloomberg. This variant appears to spread more rapidly through sexual contact and is linked to a more virulent strain of the disease, which has a higher mortality rate.

Bavarian is one of the few manufacturers producing an mpox vaccine. Its vaccines were crucial in controlling the disease during the global outbreak in 2022. However, global complacency — compounded by the disease continuing to spread mainly in African countries — led to the declaration of a second global emergency earlier this year.

(with inputs from agencies)