Tonix Pharmaceuticals' Live Virus Vaccine Candidate Shows Long-Term Protection From Mpox, Smallpox With 1 Dose, Animal Study Suggests

Zinger Key Points
  • TNX-801's Single-dose vaccination prevented clinical disease and lesions and decreased shedding in non-human primates' mouths and lungs.
  • The company said TNX-801 will not require multiple repeated doses at six-month intervals like mRNA vaccines.

Friday, Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. TNXP reiterated its commitment to advancing the development of its live attenuated virus vaccine, TNX-801 (recombinant horsepox virus), to prevent mpox and other infectious diseases.

As per data from Benzinga Pro, Tonix Pharmaceuticals has a strong session volume of 53.33 million on Friday.

Mpox is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and other animals. Symptoms include a rash that forms blisters, then crusts over, fever, and swollen lymph nodes.

Also Read: Nano-Cap Tonix Pharmaceuticals Secures Large US Department of Defense Contract.

On August 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) determined that the upsurge of mpox in many African countries constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, the second such declaration in the past two years.

The Clade 1 monkeypox virus caused the current outbreak, while the Clade 2 monkeypox virus caused the 2022 outbreak.

TNX-801 is a live replicating attenuated vaccine candidate based on horsepox that is believed to provide immune protection with better tolerability than 20th-century vaccinia viruses.

The same vaccine platform upon which TNX-801 is based was selected by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) for Project NextGen for an engineered version that expresses the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2.

As previously disclosed, TNX-801 protected animals against lethal challenge with intratracheal Clade 1 monkeypox virus.

After a single-dose vaccination, TNX-801 prevented clinical disease and lesions and decreased shedding in non-human primates’ mouths and lungs.

“Preclinical trials demonstrate that TNX-801 combines immune protection with improved tolerability and safety compared to other vaccines based on orthopoxviruses and is administered with a single dose, which has advantages over two-dose regimens. The durability of protection from 19th-century live virus vaccinia vaccines suggests that our attenuated TNX-801 will not require multiple repeated doses at six-month intervals like mRNA vaccines. Also, the stability of live virus vaccines eliminates the need for ultra-cold storage, which complicates the widespread use of mRNA vaccines in Africa, where they are needed most right now,” said Seth Lederman, CEO.

Further, the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense recently highlighted the renewed dual threats of a more virulent mpox epidemic and a smallpox re-introduction from lab accidents or bad actors.

The National Academies of Science, in its review of smallpox preparedness, highlighted the need for new single-dose vaccines, like TNX-801, against smallpox.

Price Action: TNXP stock is trading 4.01% higher at $0.48 at the last check on Friday.

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