Bavarian Nordic talks mpox manufacturing expansion

Mpox vaccine-maker Bavarian Nordic held a conference call to discuss its earnings through the third quarter of 2024 along with its manufacturing plans in Africa for next year and beyond.

The company says that it is maximizing its manufacturing capacity in the short- and medium-term so that it can send at least 10 million doses of its modified vaccinia Ankara-Bavarian Nordic (MVA-BN) for mpox to Africa by the end of 2025.

“We continue to manufacture at the full scale and are looking to potentially increase our capacity as we do anticipate more orders in the coming months and going into next year,” said Paul Chaplin, president and CEO of Bavarian Nordic during the conference call. He noted that Africa CDC has asked for up to 15 million doses of the vaccine by the end of next year.

An intensified global collaboration between Bavarian Nordic and organizations such as Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, has pledged almost 3 million doses of to the continent through agreements and donations.

“To ensure the continued equitable access of our vaccine, we are also looking at expanding that capacity by also discussing the tech transfer of the fill-finish of our vaccine into Africa,” Chaplin said.

But he said performing a technology transfer to a manufacturing facility in Africa is no sure thing. “We need to see what the demand forecast will really be in the coming years to justify the costs of expanding our manufacturing into Africa.”

He added that Bavarian Nordic had identified several companies capable of performing manufacturing, but the company was still meeting with stakeholders to clarify future demand and justify the potentially costly tech transfer.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) is helping to fund three clinical trials in Africa, which are respectively seeking to improve access for priority populations, expand regulatory approval for children, and assess safety and immunogenicity in pregnant and breastfeeding women, and infants under 2 years old.

The financial picture

Bavarian Nordic earned about $514 million in revenue through nine months in 2024, with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EMITBA) at $98 million, down from about $220 million last year. Nevertheless, the company touted a strong showing from its Travel Health division, which grew by 21% compared with the last year. Additionally, the company has secured over $340 million in 2025 revenue from mpox/smallpox vaccine orders, including previously deferred revenue.

The company also is also preparing to launch a vaccine for chikungunya in the first half of 2025. Chikungunya is a viral disease spread by infected mosquitos that can result in joint and muscle pain, swelling, and rash.

Chaplin said, “The committed orders for next year, combined with improved performance in our Travel Health business, and the launch of our chikungunya vaccine in Europe and the US have set us up for another exciting and eventful year in 2025 in line with our vision to expand our reach and impact through life-changing solutions.”