The US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has awarded a contract, worth $156.8m, to Bavarian Nordic for the production of additional bulk product for the smallpox and mpox vaccine, JYNNEOS.
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BARDA is a part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response within the US Department of Health and Human Services.
The product, which represents $139.7m of the contract amount, will be produced and invoiced in 2024.
The production is part of an effort to replenish stocks utilised during the 2022 mpox outbreak.
Additionally, the contract includes around $17m for additional services from 2025 to 2027, which encompasses the storage of vaccine doses within the US.
The vaccine, known as MVA-BN or Modified Vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic, is marketed under various brand names, JYNNEOS, IMVANEX, and IMVAMUNE.
It received approval from the FDA, the European Commission (EC), Health Canada, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Swissmedic.
The vaccine has also received emergency use authorisation in other regions during the mpox outbreak.
It was originally developed in partnership with the US government for ensuring supply of a smallpox vaccine for the complete population.
Bavarian Nordic president and CEO Paul Chaplin said: “Our smallpox/mpox vaccine represents a key component in the U.S. biological preparedness, as demonstrated during the 2022 mpox outbreak.
“JYNNEOS was also the first smallpox vaccine successfully developed under Project BioShield, a program created by the US Congress in 2004 to accelerate the research, development, procurement, and availability of medical countermeasures against biological, chemical, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) agents through public-private partnerships.”