Vaccine stocks rise after WHO declares mpox emergency

Stocks of two vaccine makers rose on Thursday after the World Health Organization (WHO) upgraded an outbreak of Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to a public health emergency of international concern.

Shares in Danish vaccine maker Bavarian Nordic rose 17% in Copenhagen on Thursday. And the stock of US pharmaceutical company Emergent BioSolutions (EBS) rose 6% on Thursday.

Bavarian Nordic and Emergent BioSolutions are the manufacturers of the only two vaccines that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend for Mpox.

The stock movements come just a day after the WHO determined an increase in Mpox cases in the DRC and other African countries constitutes an international public health emergency. This was the second WHO public health emergency for Mpox in two years.

A new variant of Mpox, known as clade Ibhas emerged and appears to be more contagious than previous variants.

“The emergence of a new class of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC and the reporting of cases in several neighboring countries are of great concern,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu. in a statement. “In addition to the outbreaks of other classes of mpox in the DRC and other countries in Africa, it is clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.”

This new variant has been found in DRC, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

Sweden’s public health agency confirmed on Thursday his first strain casemarking the first appearance of this strain outside of Africa.

Mpox is a viral disease that spreads between animals and humans. Symptoms include fever, chills, muscle aches and a rash that may look like pimples or blistersAccording to the CDC.

Paul Chaplin, CEO of Bavarian Nordic Bloomber said Wednesday that the company is able to meet the vaccination needs of this outbreak.

“We have inventory and we have capabilities. What we lack are orders,” said Chaplin