ZINGER KEY POINTS
- Monkeypox, a relative to smallpox, is a rare disease thought to be limited to two regions in Africa and has two main types.
- Several stocks related to vaccines and pharmaceuticals moved on the news of the outbreak.
A Monkeypox outbreak has been reported in several European countries, two cases in Canada and one confirmed case in a man from Massachusetts.
What's going on?Monkeypox, a relative to smallpox, is a rare disease thought to be limited to two regions in Africa and has two main types: the Central African strain, which has a fatality rate of up to 10%, and the West African strain, which has a fatality rate of around 1%. The cases in question are believed to be the less fatal West African strain.
Fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes are among the symptoms of monkeypox. While each symptom should be taken seriously, swollen lymph nodes especially can lead to various medical concerns. It is believed that the smallpox vaccine, which was first introduced in 1796, is effective against monkeypox.
Several stocks related to vaccines and pharmaceuticals moved on the news of the outbreak; here is a list of six.
Bavarian Nordic A/S - ADR BVNRY
Market cap:$810.95 million
Bavarian Nordic says it is highly specialized in researching, developing and manufacturing vaccines based on viral vectors to deliver antigens targeting infectious diseases and cancers.
More than that, Bavarian has built its foundation around poxviral-based vaccine platform technologies, particularly its proprietary technology,Modified Vaccinia Ankara – Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN).
MVA-BN is approved as a smallpox vaccine in the U.S., Canada and the EU.
SIGA Technologies, Inc. SIGA
Market cap:$805.89 million
Siga Tech is a pharmaceutical company based in New York City that focuses on anti-viral smallpox treatment solutions.
The company’s leading product,Tecovirimat(Tpoxx), is an antiviral medication with activity against orthopoxviruses such as smallpox and monkeypox.
Siga was awarded a contract by the U.S Department of Defense on May 12 to produce approximately $7.5 million worth of the oral version of Tpoxx.
Chimerix Inc CMRX
Market cap:$205 million
Chimerix is a biopharmaceutical company that develops oral antiviral treatments, including Tembexa, a smallpox oral antiviral tablet approved by the FDA in 2021.
Emergent BioSolutions (see below) announced a deal with Chimerix on Monday to acquire exclusive rights to Tembexa.
Emergent Biosolutions Inc EBS
Market cap:$1.76 billion
Emergent is a multinational biopharmaceutical company that develops vaccines and antibody therapeutics for infectious diseases.
The company currently produces ACAM2000, a vaccine for smallpox and announced a deal to acquire Chimerix’s FDA-approved antiviral smallpox therapy.
Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc INO
Market cap:$421.44 million
Inovio is a biotech company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing synthetic DNA products for treating cancers and infectious diseases.
In 2010, Inovio made news when it announced its smallpox DNA vaccine offered 100% protection in non-human primates against a highly pathogenic monkeypox challenge after vaccination.
Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp TNXP
Market cap:$47 million
Tonix is a pharmaceutical company based in New Jersey that focuses on repurposed drugs for central nervous system conditions.
Tonix is a producer of the TNX-801 vaccine, effective against smallpox and monkeypox.
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