Europe Orders $11.7 Million More Smallpox - Mpox Vaccines

As the mpox outbreak ends in most countries, other health agencies restock their reserves in case of a smallpox outbreak.

On September 13, 2023, Bavarian Nordic A/S announced that it had been awarded another contract to supply its MVA-BN® smallpox vaccine to rescEU, a strategic reserve within the European Union (EU).

This order follows an initial contract awarded in June 2023 and is also for delivery in 2024.

The vaccines will be stockpiled in another EU country, thus expanding the EU's capability to respond to medical countermeasures to its member states and other countries participating in the rescEU, an EU Civil Protection Mechanism. 

Paul Chaplin, President & CEO of Bavarian Nordic, commented in a press release, "We are pleased to continue supporting the initiative from the EU to build a stockpile of smallpox vaccines across Europe."

"This secures another order for next year, confirming an ongoing demand, but also the transition to stockpiling for future outbreaks, which we see as a growing trend with other countries and organizations."

The new contract is valued at more than EUR 11 million.

The MVA-BN or Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic vaccine is marketed as IMVANEX® in Europe, IMVAMUNE® in Canada, and JYNNEOS® in the U.S.

In addition to smallpox, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Health Canada, and the European Commission have also approved the vaccine for use against mpox. It is the only vaccine having obtained this dual approval to date.

In the U.S., over 1.2 million doses of JYNNEOS have been distributed since the global mpox outbreak began in May 2022. Since then, about 113 countries have reported over 89,000 mpox cases.

Recently, a significant increase in mpox cases has been observed in the South-East Asia Region.

MVA-BN is a non-replicating smallpox vaccine developed in collaboration with the U.S. government to ensure the supply of a smallpox vaccine for the entire population, including immunocompromised individuals who are not recommended vaccination with traditional replicating smallpox vaccines.

RescEU was established by the European Commission as a safety net to protect citizens from disasters and manage emerging risks. It includes, among others, reserves of medical countermeasures which can be deployed in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear emergencies.