WHO’s mpox response aims to reduce disease burden, provides scope for developers

In response to the mpox outbreak in Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) has launched an international Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) and hosted a research response conference whereby researchers, public health officials, and stakeholders from affected countries were invited to take the lead in shaping research efforts and aligning them with outbreak response strategies. This follows the recent declaration by the WHO that the mpox outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). With mpox cases continuing to rise in African countries, these much-needed interventions will be important for reducing the burden of disease globally, says GlobalData.

Anaelle Tannen, Infectious Disease Analyst at GlobalData comments, “The PHEIC classification is the highest level of alert that the WHO can issue. It places the current mpox outbreak in the same category as previous outbreaks such as COVID-19 (2020), Ebola (2019) and Zika-related microcephaly (2016), which emphasises the gravity of the epidemic and underlines the need for a coordinated response in order to contain it.”

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral infection that leads to flu-like symptoms including fever, chills, and muscle aches. Most notably, the disease is characterised by a rash, which forms blisters and then crusts over. Whilst most cases are mild and resolve within a few weeks, some people – particularly children, pregnant women, and those with suppressed immune systems – may endure more severe disease, which can be fatal. Since the beginning of the year, approximately 24,002 cases and 617 deaths have occurred in Africa*, predominately in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to Africa CDC.

The SPRP covers a six-month period from September 2024 to February 2025. It necessitates global, regional, and national efforts to ensure comprehensive surveillance, prevention, advancements in access to diagnostics and treatment measures, minimising animal-human transmission, and empowering communities to actively participate in outbreak prevention and control.

Tannen adds, “The WHO’s emergency declaration is hoped to spur donor agencies and countries to act and assist in accelerating access to testing, vaccines, and treatment in affected areas, as these are currently severely lacking. A funding appeal to raise $135 million will commence shortly, and it is vital that the target is achieved in order to deliver supplies to impacted countries as quickly as possible.”

Strategic vaccination efforts represent a key response strategy. According to GlobalData, there are three currently available mpox vaccines, including Bavarian Nordic’s Jynneos in Europe, the US and Canada; KM Biologics’ LC16 vaccine in Japan; and Emergent BioSolutions’ ACAM2000 vaccine in the US. Up to 3.6 million doses of these vaccines have been pledged by various governments and companies to help stop the spread of mpox in Africa, the first of which have now been delivered to Nigeria**. However, it is estimated that around 10 million mpox vaccine doses will be needed by 2025.

Additionally, there is a huge opportunity for developers and manufacturers to advance novel prophylactic and treatment options. Late-stage mpox vaccines of note include BioNTech’s BNT-166A and Moderna’s mRNA-1769, both of which are in Phase II.

Tannen concludes, “With vaccines in extremely short supply, vaccination strategies will focus on those at highest risk, including close contacts of recent cases and key workers. It is hoped that this method will most effectively interrupt transmission chains, preventing further spread of disease.”

*Includes 5,265 confirmed cases and 18,737 suspected cases

**Approximately 10,000 doses of Jynneos were received in Nigeria on 27 August 2024, donated by the US government

Edits made by EP News Bureau