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. These findings provide additional tools to evaluate vaccines and other medical countermeasures.
According to Tonix, the findings support continued development of TNX-801, its live attenuated horsepox virus vaccine candidate for the prevention of mpox and smallpox. The company believes that 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 research is critical as mpox continues to be a public health concern, with the World Health Organization declaring a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in 2022 and sustained transmission in many countries.
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 CNS portfolio includes TONMYA (cyclobenzaprine HCl sublingual tablets 2.8mg), the first new treatment for fibromyalgia in more than 15 years, as well as products for acute migraine such as Zembrace SymTouch and Tosymra. Tonix is also advancing a pipeline of immunology programs, including monoclonal antibody TNX-4800 for Lyme disease prophylaxis and TNX-1500, a third-generation CD40 ligand inhibitor for the prevention of kidney transplant rejection.
The publication of this research is significant for the biotech industry and public health, as it provides a more nuanced understanding of mpox virus virulence and offers new models to accelerate vaccine development. The findings could influence how vaccines and therapeutics are evaluated, potentially leading to more effective countermeasures against both mpox and smallpox. For investors, this development underscores Tonix's progress in its immunology pipeline and its commitment to addressing global health threats.
For more information, visit the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/TNXP.
