Roche seeking to up worldwide lab capacity in fight against mpox

In light of World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declaring mpox to be a “public health emergency of international concern,” organizations around the world have worked to fight back against the global health threat. 

Mpox – previously known as monkeypox – is a disease caused by a virus that is endemic to Western and Central Africa. In January 2023, an outbreak began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to the Center for Disease Control, there have been more than 27,000 reported cases and 1,300 deaths in that country in the 18 months since. 

Roche has responded to the ongoing mpox outbreak by partnering with governments, healthcare providers, and organizations dedicated to combating the mpox outbreak to enhance laboratory capacity and contribute to diagnostic testing for the disease. 

“Our commitment to support the global response to mpox began in 2022 when we developed a suite of tests to enable global access to rapid and high-quality PCR testing,” said Matt Sause, CEO of Roche Diagnostics. “Diagnostics are essential in addressing emerging public health challenges like mpox, as they enable healthcare providers to identify infected patients, devise effective treatment strategies and take appropriate actions.” 

A spokesperson for Roche told BioProcess Insider the company “is actively working with local governments in Africa and regional organizations [that] are driving continental coordination on ways we can collaborate to expand laboratory capacity to provide much-needed tests to those who need them the most. Additionally, Roche provides training for laboratories across the African continent.” 

The organization is also providing basic and advanced training for laboratory technicians at the Roche Scientific Campus in South Africa and across the continent. The spokesperson added, “We train the technicians on how to use our instruments and applications to run tests. This includes for instance proper sample preparation, efficient sample management and exact validation of test results.” 

The Bigger Picture 

While additional training and testing capacity will provide needed services to the continent, the mpox outbreak in Africa is a multifaceted problem in need of more vaccines and local solutions. According to Medicines for Africa (MFA), only two mpox vaccines exist today can prevent the spread of the disease. One is the Bavarian Nordic vaccine that promises to manufacture 10 million doses by the end of 2025. The other is a KM Biologics’ LC16 vaccine approved domestically in Japan.  

The Democratic Republic of the Congo alone has a population over 100 million.  

Vetja Haakuria, vaccine development and manufacturing technical expert at the Regional Centre of Excellence (EAC) Rwanda, has called for a more robust response to mpox on the African continent. He said, “With no mpox vaccine production on the continent, a comprehensive and robust response is not possible. It is like fighting with one arm tied behind your back.” 

Haakuria told MFA that the countries producing mpox vaccines have “invested on a long-term basis in building the capacity that birthed the ability to produce mpox and other vaccines. Learning from others, we can do the same: Invest in research infrastructure on a long-term basis.”