(Bloomberg) -- Bavarian Nordic A/S, the only company with a vaccine approved for mpox in the US and Europe, wants permission to use the jab for adolescents as a new variant of the virus spreads.
Bavarian will submit clinical data to the European Medicines Agency to support the extension to include people at age 12 to 17 in Europe, the company, which is based north of Copenhagen, said on Friday.
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The World Health Organization declared the spread of mpox in Africa a global public health emergency this week, paving the way for a coordinated international response. On Thursday, Sweden reported a case of the new variant of the virus, the first of its kind to be diagnosed outside the African continent. The person had traveled in an area where the new strain is spreading.
Bavarian shares have gained on nine consecutive days, adding another 10% on Friday. That brings the weekly gain to more than 35% on expectations that sales of its vaccine will surge.
Currently, Bavarian’s vaccine is only indicated for adults 18 years and older, but the jab was granted an emergency use authorization for use in adolescents by US authorities during the 2022 global outbreak, Bavarian said.
Pending the review by European drug authorities, Bavarian’s vaccine could be used by adolescents during the fourth quarter of this year, the company said. It’s also preparing for a clinical trial to assess the inoculation’s effectiveness and safety in children aged 2 to 12 years.
The company can provide 10 million doses to African countries by the end of 2025, Chief Executive Officer Paul Chaplin said earlier this week.
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