Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: TNXP) announced the publication of new preclinical research in the peer-reviewed Journal of Virology that demonstrates significant differences in virulence between mpox virus clade IIb, the strain currently circulating in the U.S., and the historic clade IIa strain. The study, conducted at the company's research and development center, identified three new mouse models for investigating mpox pathogenesis and found that the clade IIb isolate is up to 100,000 times less virulent than clade IIa, providing additional tools to evaluate vaccines and other medical countermeasures.
The findings carry substantial implications for public health and the biotechnology industry. Tonix stated that the research supports continued development of TNX-801, its live attenuated horsepox virus vaccine candidate for the prevention of mpox and smallpox. The company believes the new animal models will help researchers better understand emerging mpox variants, assess vaccine durability and protective efficacy, and advance efforts to address the ongoing global threat posed by the disease. This is particularly important as mpox continues to pose a global health threat, with new variants potentially altering transmission dynamics and severity.
By providing a clearer understanding of virulence differences, this research could influence how public health agencies prepare for future outbreaks. The new mouse models enable more precise testing of vaccines and treatments, potentially accelerating the development of effective countermeasures. For the biotech industry, these insights may guide the design of next-generation vaccines that are both safe and effective against both historical and emerging strains.
Tonix Pharmaceuticals is a fully-integrated, commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on central nervous system (CNS) and immunology treatments in areas of high unmet medical need. The company's pipeline includes TNX-801, which is being developed as a vaccine for mpox and smallpox. The full press release is available at https://ibn.fm/ZlMkT.
The latest news and updates relating to TNXP are available in the company's newsroom at https://ibn.fm/TNXP.
