Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. (NASDAQ: TNXP) has 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.
Tonix stated that 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 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 pose a global health threat, with new variants emerging. The ability to test vaccine candidates against less virulent but still relevant strains could accelerate development of effective countermeasures. For investors, the publication adds scientific credibility to Tonix's vaccine platform, potentially de-risking TNX-801's development path.
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 commercial infrastructure supports its marketed products, including TONMYA™ for fibromyalgia, and its pipeline includes programs for major depressive disorder, acute stress disorder, Prader-Willi syndrome, Lyme disease prophylaxis, and prevention of kidney transplant rejection.
For more details, the full press release is available at https://ibn.fm/ZlMkK.
