Tonix Pharmaceuticals announced publication of “Recombinant Chimeric Horsepox Virus (TNX-801) is Attenuated Relative to Vaccinia Virus Strains in Both In Vitro and In Vivo Models,” in mSphere.
Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. announced the publication of a paper entitled, “Recombinant Chimeric Horsepox Virus (TNX-801) is Attenuated Relative to Vaccinia Virus Strains in Both In Vitro and In Vivo Models,” in the peer-reviewed journal mSphere
The publication presents data demonstrating that TNX 801 is less virulent than 20th Century vaccinia vaccines in immune-compromised mice. Previously, single-dose vaccination with TNX 801 was shown to protect animals from a lethal challenge with Clade Ia monkeypox.
On August 14, 2024, WHO determined that the upsurge of Clade Ib mpox in Africa constituted a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), the second such declaration in the past two years in response to an mpox outbreak. The recent ongoing outbreak is caused by Clade Ib monkeypox virus, while the PHEIC declared in 2022, and still ongoing, is caused by Clade IIb monkeypox virus. Mpox cases of the new clade Ib monkeypox virus have been detect in 16 African countries and Sweden, Thailand, Singapore, India, Germany and England. The new Clade Ib mpox is spreading in children in Africa and so far, has been carried by adult travellers from Africa into non-African countries. The global mpox outbreak from Clade IIb, which commenced in 2022, has affected over 90,000 people in countries where mpox had previously not been endemic, including Europe and the U.S. The Clade IIb mpox from the 2022 PHEIC predominantly affects gay men outside of Africa and already is an established endemic in the U.S.
The publication describes data in which TNX-801 was compared with older vaccinia vaccine strains used in the eradication of smallpox for tolerability in both in vitro and in vivo models. Together, TNX 801 was shown to be more than 10- to 1,000-fold more attenuated (or less virulent) compared to the older vaccinia smallpox vaccines. Combined with the ability of TNX 801 to protect animals against lethal challenge with Clade Ia monkeypox virus, the Company believes that the new tolerability data support the idea that TNX 801 is a candidate vaccine to control the ongoing PHEICs with mpox Clade Ib and mpox Clade IIb.
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