The bulk product, worth $96m, will be made and invoiced in 2023, but it will only partially replenish the inventory that was utilised to manufacture vaccinations in response to the mpox outbreak in 2022
The headquarters building of the US Department of Health and Human Services. (Credit: Carol M. Highsmith from Wikimedia Commons)
Denmark-based Bavarian Nordic has secured a new order worth $120m from the US Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) for smallpox/ mpox vaccine.
BARDA is part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response at the US Department of Health and Human Services.
The contract will primarily cover the manufacturing of new bulk products for the company’s smallpox/ mpox vaccine.
The bulk product, worth $96m, will be made and invoiced in 2023, but it will only partially replenish the inventory that was utilised to manufacture vaccinations in response to the mpox outbreak in 2022.
Throughout 2022 and 2023, about 5.5 million doses were manufactured for the US government.
The replenishment of the bulk inventory is required to meet the firm’s long-term goal to deliver a freeze-dried version of the vaccine for US smallpox preparation, the integrated vaccines company said.
In addition, Bavarian Nordic will manufacture and supply additional liquid-frozen doses of the vaccine in 2023 for $3m.
The agreement includes $21m in additional services, the majority of which will be received in 2024 and 2025.
Bavarian Nordic president and CEO Paul Chaplin said: “The US government’s foresight enabled us last year to rapidly respond to the global mpox outbreak by converting the readily available bulk product into final vaccine doses.
“Together with our US manufacturing partner, we have completed the manufacturing of all doses ordered by the US government during the mpox outbreak.
“However, maintaining the readiness to respond to future health crises is essential, and this new contract will enable us to deliver on the contract for a freeze-dried version of the vaccine, awarded to us by the US government back in 2017, which aims to strengthen the nation’s preparedness against smallpox.”
The company has been working with the US government on the development, manufacturing and supply of a non-replicating smallpox vaccine since 2003.
In February this year, the vaccine company agreed to buy Emergent BioSolutions’ travel health business for up to $380m.