On Friday, Eastern Time, USA, stocks related to the concept of smallpox vaccine emerged in the field of biotechnology.$Emergent BioSolutions (EBS.US)$The stock price experienced significant fluctuations during the trading session, surging by 17% at the opening, then dropping over 6% at the close. Additionally, in pre-market trading, it once soared by more than 40%.

Emergent BioSolutions, a US emerging biotech company, announced in a press release after the closing bell on Thursday that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially approved the expanded indications of a smallpox vaccine produced by the company, allowing the use of this vaccine named ACAM2000 to help high-risk individuals prevent monkeypox virus infection.

This is also the second monkeypox vaccine approved by the US regulatory agency after Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos, so the shares of Emergent BioSolutions are being hotly speculated in the market.

Emergent BioSolutions, headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, saw its stock price plummet last year due to weak contract manufacturing business. However, supported by plans such as exiting the contract manufacturing business and turning losses into profits, the company's stock price has recovered somewhat this year.

Emergent BioSolutions currently has a market cap of $0.44 billion. The company predicted in early August that the sales of government reserve products such as smallpox vaccines and anthrax vaccines could reach up to $0.49 billion.

The company stated that this approval is based on human safety data and animal experimental data that have been obtained. Animal experimental data shows that this smallpox vaccine, called ACAM2000, can effectively prevent monkeypox virus infection.

Emergent BioSolutions CEO Joe Papa said, "The FDA approval of ACAM2000 for the prevention of monkeypox virus infection further strengthens and expands our industry-leading smallpox product portfolio, and we are ready to supply the vaccine needed by countries."

ACAM2000 is a single-dose vaccine that is administered through bifurcated needle percutaneous injection. It was first approved by the FDA in 2007 for the prevention of smallpox infection in high-risk populations.

However, ACAM2000 cannot be used in individuals with weakened immune systems. Although it is part of the US government's reserve vaccine, its use was limited during the monkeypox outbreak in the United States in 2022.

Both Jynneos and ACAM2000 vaccines contain vaccinia virus, and the pathogenicity of vaccinia virus is much lower. ACAM2000 uses live, infectious forms of vaccinia virus.

Recently, a more infectious and deadly variant of monkeypox, Ib monkeypox, has spread worldwide and has raised concerns. The World Health Organization has declared monkeypox outbreak as an "international public health emergency of concern."

Emergent BioSolutions stated that it hopes to help address the current epidemic and has pledged to donate 0.05 million doses of ACAM2000 vaccine to affected countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Editor/ping