The department awarded the contract to the Conshohocken, Pa.-based drug company to boost the Strategic National Stockpile’s “distribution capacity,” according to a Sept. 6 news release.
Since the monkeypox outbreak hit the U.S. in May, access to Bavarian Nordic’s monkeypox vaccine, Jynneos, and SIGA Technologies’ antiviral treatment, Tpoxx, has been strained.
One of the main issues with monkeypox vaccine supply is the delivery system, which has been shipping doses to five locations per state. Now, the HHS can serve “up to 2,500 shipments per week of frozen Jynneos vaccine and up to 2,500 ambient temperature shipments per week, which can be used for Tpoxx distribution,” the department said.
Monkeypox cases seem to be plateauing, but a few weeks ago, when monkeypox vaccines were in short supply, the FDA implemented a dose-sparing strategy to divide each vaccine into fifths.
As critics said the solution wasn’t enough due to the difficulty of extracting five doses from one vaccine, the HHS awarded $11 million to a Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing plant that’s helping fill orders from Bavarian Nordic and bought $26 million worth of Tpoxx, a treatment tightly wrapped in red tape.
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.