WHO lists mpox vaccine by Japan’s KM Biologics for emergency use

Mpox vaccine bottles stand in a package, at Federal Medical Center in Abuja, Nigeria November 18, 2024
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

The World Health Organization listed KM Biologics’ mpox vaccine for emergency use on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, making it the second shot to get the approval of the global health agency.

The WHO had declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years in August this year, after a new variant of the virus, called Clade Ib, spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries.

In September, after facing criticism for moving too slowly on vaccines, the agency cleared Bavarian Nordic’s vaccine for mpox and said it was considering LC16, made by Japan’s KM Biologics, as a potential vaccine option.

The Government of Japan will donate 3.05 million doses of the vaccine, along with certain specialized needles, to Congo, the WHO said.

The vaccine has been used in Japan during previous mpox outbreaks and was shown to be safe and effective, including in people with well-controlled HIV, it said.

KM Biologics, a unit of candy maker Meiji Holdings Co , mainly produces vaccines for humans and veterinary use.

According to the latest WHO figures, there have been more than 50,500 confirmed and suspected cases of mpox in Africa this year, and more than 1,100 deaths in the continent due to the illness.