EU in talks for common purchase of vaccine, antiviral against monkeypox (updated)

SIGA Technologies

27/05/2022 14:04

(Recasts; adds comment from EC spokesperson and Bavarian Nordic
spokesperson; details)
    By Simon Johnson and Natalie  Grover
    STOCKHOLM, May 27 (Reuters) - The European Union is working
on a common purchasing agreement for vaccines and antivirals
against monkeypox, as cases of the viral disease usually endemic
to Africa gather steam in Europe and beyond.
    A broad consensus was reached in principle with member
states for the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response
Authority (HERA) to acquire medical countermeasures on their
behalf as soon as possible, a European Commission spokesperson
told Reuters, confirming a report by Swedish daily Dagens
Nyheter.
    The EU is in talks to buy Bavarian Nordic's  BAVA.CO 
vaccine Imvanex as well as the antiviral, tecovirimat, developed
by U.S.-based SIGA Technologies  SIGA.O , the paper said, citing
Sweden's vaccine coordinator Richard Bergstrom.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N2XG5LK
    Bergstrom said that no contract with either firm had yet
been signed.
    "But it will go quickly. We should have a contract ready in
a week or so and maybe some limited deliveries in June," the
paper quoted him saying. 
    A Bavarian Nordic spokesperson confirmed HERA had contacted
the Danish biotechnology company regarding its vaccine. 
    "We've had several calls with HERA...we have no idea when
there will be an agreement. It is not up to us to say when there
will be an agreement - there are two parties involved," the
spokesperson said. 
    If an agreement was in fact reached, Bavarian Nordic had
enough supply to satisfy demand, he added. 
    The smallpox and monkeypox viruses are closely related.
    Bavarian Nordic's vaccine has official European approval for
smallpox, although doctors can prescribe it off-label for
monkeypox.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N2XG5MK
    SIGA's treatment tecovirimat - branded as TPOXX - has
European approval for smallpox, monkeypox and cowpox. 
    Global health officials have tracked more than 200 suspected
and confirmed cases of the usually mild viral infection in about
20 countries since early May.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N2XF1XF
    Symptoms of monkeypox - which can include fever, distinctive
rashes and pus-filled skin lesions - can last for two to four
weeks, but often resolve on their own. 
    The variant of the virus implicated in the current outbreak
is believed to kill a small fraction of those infected.  

 (Reporting by Simon Johnson in Stockholm and Natalie Grover in
London; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Nick Macfie)
 ((simon.c.johnson@thomsonreuters.com; +46 70 721 1045; Reuters
Messaging: simon.c.johnson.reuters.com@reuters.net))