MPOXED

Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control has confirmed four new mpox cases, including one imported from China, signaling elevated transmission risk through September. All cases involved unvaccinated men in their 30s who developed classic symptoms such as rashes and pustules. Authorities warn that increased summer travel and social gatherings heighten outbreak potential. Since June 2022, Taiwan has reported 473 cases—exclusively of the Clade IIb strain. Vaccination uptake has reached over 99,000 first doses and 68,000 second doses, but continued outreach is vital. The CDC urges at-risk individuals to vaccinate promptly, as two doses reduce severe illness and death by up to 90%.

NanoViricides, Inc. is preparing to launch a Phase II adaptive clinical trial of its antiviral candidate NV-387 for Clade Ia and Ib mpox, aiming to evaluate safety, dosing, and efficacy. The trial will begin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and use a dissolvable oral gummy formulation to ease administration in patients with painful lesions. If successful, NV-387 could become the first human-tested antiviral for orthopoxviruses. This trial arrives as existing options like tecovirimat have underperformed, and Clade I mpox remains a growing global concern. Further support and scrutiny will be crucial as the study advances.

As the World Health Organization maintains mpox as a public health emergency of international concern, debate grows over the need for booster doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine. France has recommended a third dose for high-risk individuals, citing stronger antibody persistence. However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) remains cautious, citing low breakthrough rates and mild disease in vaccinated individuals. A recent African preprint study supports long-term immune memory from the two-dose series but notes increased side effects with boosters. As global cases rise, public health agencies must weigh evolving evidence to shape booster strategies grounded in risk.

Tonix Pharmaceuticals has presented compelling preclinical data on TNX-801, a recombinant horsepox vaccine designed for mpox and smallpox prevention. At the 2025 Vaccine Congress, researchers highlighted TNX-801’s capacity to generate durable immunity from a single subcutaneous dose—offering strong protection without the safety risks associated with traditional vaccinia vaccines. In nonhuman primates, TNX-801 conferred complete protection against Clade I mpox challenge. With promising immunogenicity and attenuation, TNX-801 could be a game-changer in outbreak preparedness. Tonix aims to move into clinical trials soon, positioning this novel candidate as a critical asset in global orthopox virus control strategies.

As mpox cases decline in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Africa CDC warns of new surges in Burundi, Uganda, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, and Guinea. With 23 countries reporting outbreaks this year and 18 still active, the epidemic remains highly dynamic. Increases in Uganda and Burundi signal waning public vigilance, while Ghana and Kenya are facing rapid spread and wider community transmission. Vaccine shortages remain a critical barrier to containment beyond Sierra Leone, which has vaccinated over 120,000 people. The continent’s patchwork of responses underscores the urgent need for sustained surveillance, community engagement, and equitable vaccine access.

Bavarian Nordic has secured a major contract exceeding DKK 200 million to supply its MVA-BN® smallpox/mpox vaccine to a European nation in 2025, reinforcing efforts to bolster public health security amid rising biological threats. The MVA-BN vaccine, already approved across multiple global markets, serves as a cornerstone for both mpox outbreak response and smallpox preparedness. This order brings Bavarian Nordic’s 2025 public preparedness contracts to over DKK 3 billion. CEO Paul Chaplin emphasized the strategic importance of vaccine readiness in strengthening geopolitical resilience, highlighting continued EU and global partnerships to ensure access to medical countermeasures in a volatile health landscape.

A new $3.5 million NIH grant to Wayne State University and UCLA researchers marks a critical step in understanding and combating ocular complications from mpox. As Clade IIb spreads globally, this five-year study will investigate how the virus targets eye tissues, its evolving genetic mutations, and novel antiviral treatments. By combining biosafety level 2 and 3 lab expertise, the project aims to preempt severe eye-related disease outcomes. This collaboration reinforces that pandemic preparedness depends on proactive, cross-institutional research. With the virus rapidly evolving, sustained investment in both scientific inquiry and therapeutic development is imperative for safeguarding public health.

As mpox continues to surge across Sierra Leone, MSF is leading a critical response effort in high-burden districts like Freetown, Bombali, and Kenema. With over 4,000 confirmed cases, stigma, misinformation, and delayed care are fueling preventable suffering, especially for those with painful, advanced disease. MSF’s work—rehabilitating isolation wards, training health workers, supporting psychosocial care, and building diagnostic capacity—is helping restore public trust and improve treatment outcomes. But with every delay, the virus spreads further. The international community must prioritize sustained support for local responders who are battling not only a virus, but also fear, stigma, and resource constraints.

A new computational vaccine blueprint from University of Dhaka researchers offers promise against monkeypox (mpox), leveraging reverse vaccinology to design a multi-epitope vaccine (MEV) targeting conserved MPXV proteins. In silico modeling revealed strong immune receptor binding and robust T- and B-cell responses, marking a potential leap beyond existing smallpox-based formulations. However, while the immunoinformatics approach is timely amid the Clade Ib resurgence in Africa, no experimental validation has yet been conducted. Further in vitro and in vivo testing is essential before clinical viability can be assessed. This research underscores the power of bioinformatics in pandemic preparedness and next-generation vaccine development.