Bavarian Nordic Shares Surge Amid WHO’s Mpox Emergency Declaration

Shares of Bavarian Nordic surged on Friday following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of a public health emergency over a growing mpox outbreak in Africa. The Danish company, which produces the only globally approved mpox vaccine under the brand names Jynneos, Imvamune, and Imvanex, saw its stock jump more than 14% during early trading in Copenhagen. Although the gains later leveled out to around 12.5%, the stock has risen over 40% in the past five days.

This rally reflects a broader surge in health stocks related to the mpox outbreak as nations mobilize to combat the virus. Emergent BioSolutions, a U.S. firm with a smallpox vaccine, ACAM2000, that could potentially be used against mpox, also saw its stock rise, gaining approximately 12% on Wednesday and 14% on Thursday. However, ACAM2000 is considered less favorable due to its potential side effects and the use of a live virus, which makes it unsuitable for certain populations, including pregnant people, infants, and immunocompromised individuals.

Bavarian Nordic’s vaccine is preferred due to its safer profile, and on Friday, the company submitted data to the European Union’s medicines regulator to extend the vaccine’s use to adolescents aged 12 to 17. This comes amid concerns that children are particularly vulnerable to the new variant spreading in Central Africa. Bavarian Nordic is also planning trials for children as young as two years old.

The WHO’s declaration follows a similar move by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, highlighting the escalating health crisis. The mpox variant responsible for the current outbreak has a reported death rate of up to 10%, with over 17,000 suspected cases and more than 500 deaths in Africa this year. The outbreak has recently spread beyond Africa, with a case reported in Sweden and more suspected in Pakistan.

Bavarian Nordic has announced that it can supply up to 10 million vaccine doses by the end of 2025.