Only one pharmaceutical company in the world produces the smallpox vaccine and its value skyrockets in the stock market

With the eradication of the smallpox in 1980 inoculation was stopped vaccine that ended this viral disease and infectious, which affected humanity for more than 3,000 years. Therefore, the elaboration Y sale of the antidote went from being a worldwide businesswith million doses administered per year, at a medicine that is required when something arises sporadic outbreak. With the rise of monkey pox, Spain and other countries are considering the purchase of antivirals. Just one pharmaceutical produces the vaccine, in 2021 it closed with losses and for two days its value in bag has been shot.

Danish biotech Bavarian Nordic is he sole manufacturer authorized by the European Medicines Agency to manufacture and distribute the vaccine. Its shares have soared 33% in the copenhagen stock exchange since Wednesday, when the World Health Organization (WHO) threw the health alert. It closed the session on Thursday at 25 euros (183 Danish crowns) and this Friday it maintains its upward momentum: it grows 165%, placing the price at 215 crowns (28.9 euros).

The vaccine was approved in Europe in 2013

The pharmaceutical company markets the vaccine under various tradenames: imnavex in Europe, which began to be used in 2013, Imvamune in Canada and Jynneos in United States. The latter was not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) until 2019.

There is another point: the European agency only recommends it for human smallpox, although experts consider that it could work in 85% of the cases of this endemic disease in central and western Africa. Instead, the FDA authorized its use in monkeypox as well.

Lyophilized version of the antidote

On the other hand, Bavarian Nordic developed in 2019 a freeze-dried version, which increases the conservation of the product before being inoculated. However, the European agency has not validated its use. By contrast, the FDA does.

The only country that has announced that it will buy the vaccines from the Danish pharmaceutical company it is USA: the government of Joe Biden will pay more than $118 million (111.64 million euros) for the lyophilized doses, the company announced in a statement. In addition, the North American country has already made acquisitions of the normal version.