BioCentury
ARTICLE | Product Development

Poxvirus agents, by the mechanisms

The mechanisms of products approved for monkeypox and other orthopoxviruses offer the potential for combinations

June 14, 2022 6:22 PM UTC

The rapid global spread of monkeypox is shining a light on the small arsenal of poxvirus vaccines and therapies approved over the last 15 years, and how their mechanisms of action could influence usage in the current outbreak, including as combinations. Preclinical agents in company pipelines raise questions about the ideal strains to include in vaccines, key antigens and host interactions.

More than 40 years after smallpox eradication, the handful of products with approvals for the orthopox family of viruses include two vaccines and two small molecule therapies. Regulators have also identified other products without approval, such as vaccinia immunoglobulin, that could be used in emergencies or in immunocompromised patients...