Mpox Response: Public Citizen Research & Advocacy
On August 13, 2024 the Africa CDC declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security. The following day, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a growing number of African countries constituted a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). This is the second mpox-related PHEIC in two years. In July 2022, WHO declared a PHEIC for mpox (then known as monkeypox) for a different outbreak that spread globally.
Below is a collection of Public Citizen research, advocacy materials, and related resources on mpox response.
November 13, 2024, Letter to Danaher and Cepheid Urging Lower Mpox Test Price
Civil society organizations are urging molecular testing company, Cepheid, and its parent company, Danaher, to lower the price of its mpox diagnostic test, GeneXpert, from $20 to $5 per test for supply to African countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the epicenter of the mpox emergency. Estimated production costs show each GeneXpert test could be sold at a profit for $5, but Cepheid and Danaher have refused to lower all test prices or publish the results of a promised audit of GeneXpert test costs. Cepheid and Danaher have faced years of public pressure over the high prices of its tests targeting various diseases. Recently, more than 200,000 people signed a petition organized by the Time for $5 campaign, led by the MSF Access Campaign and partners including author John Green, requesting the corporations drop the price of all GeneXpert cartridges to $5.
October 30, 2024, Letter to Bavarian Nordic Urging Lower Price, Greater Supply of Jynneos Mpox Vaccine and Fact Sheet: Expanding Access to Mpox Vaccines Through Affordable Transparent Pricing
Health advocacy organizations sent a letter to Bavarian Nordic CEO Paul Chaplin urging the company to increase UNICEF’s supply from one million to four million doses under its current deal, free of charge and cut the price for future orders to $16.25 per dose of Jynneos. In a related fact sheet, Public Citizen highlights that the Jynneos mpox vaccine has the second-highest price among vaccines UNICEF supplies. The fact sheet further details the need for fair pricing and transparency.
October 16, 2024, Gavi-UNICEF Response to Letter on Mpox Vaccine Access & Pricing
On August 27, 2024, Public Citizen and other health access groups sent a letter urging Gavi and UNICEF to negotiate a fair price for mpox vaccines. On October 16, Gavi and UNICEF responded to the letter. The response outlines Gavi and UNICEF’s approach to vaccine procurement, pricing, and coordination. It also acknowledges cost concerns around the MVA-BN mpox vaccine (manufactured by Bavarian Nordic as “Jynneos”). The response states that, “[t]he high-cost per dose, and the need for a two-dose regimen, could impact the amount of vaccines Gavi and UNICEF can purchase and ultimately the number of people reached and potentially even our ability to stop this outbreak.”
October 3, 2024, The BMJ: Mpox: Africa’s response is obstructed by manufacturer’s failure to share vaccine technology and unfair pricing, says campaign group
October 1, 2024, Report: Mpox Vaccine Access
This report details U.S. support for the MVA-BN mpox vaccine (manufactured by Bavarian Nordic as Jynneos, Imvanex, or Imvamune) and provides insight into the seemingly unique price offered to the U.S. government. Additionally, we identify global manufacturers that may be good candidates for technology transfer to produce MVA-BN globally. (Related press release here).
August 27, 2024, Health Access Groups Push Gavi, UNICEF to Negotiate Fair Price of Mpox Vaccines for Equitable Rollout
As mpox cases surge in multiple African countries, health access groups are pushing Gavi and UNICEF to create transparency in contract negotiations and ultimately, get a fair price for millions of doses of Jynneos, Bavarian Nordic’s mpox vaccine. In a letter Tuesday, Public Citizen, MSF Access Campaign, Partners In Health, People’s Medicine Alliance, Health GAP and other groups told Gavi and UNICEF that they must use their purchasing power to negotiate affordable prices for these vaccines.
November 1, 2022, Global Manufacturers Can Ramp Up Low-Cost Monkeypox Vaccine Production, Public Citizen Report Finds
At least nine global vaccine manufacturers, including six based in LMICs, have experience in making vaccines similar to the monkeypox vaccine, a new Public Citizen report found. Manufacturers in these countries sell similar vaccines for $4 or less per dose – nearly 30 times less than the estimated $110 price of the monkeypox vaccine, according to the report.
September 27, 2022, 50+ Groups Urge Funding for COVID-19, Monkeypox Response Even After Congress Removes It From CR
Congress should authorize the White House’s nearly $27 billion funding request to support the COVID-19 and Monkeypox virus (MPXV) response, more than 50 groups said in a letter to appropriations committee heads after they dropped the White House’s requested funding from the continuing resolution late Monday night.
September 22, 2022, How a Danish Company Grabbed Control of the Monkeypox Vaccine
Zain Rizvi, research director for Public Citizen’s Access to Medicines Program, explains in The American Prospect how German government science and American public money underpinned the development of Jynneos, but one Danish company now controls it entirely.
September 12, 2022, Public Citizen Letter to Bavarian Nordic Urging Equitable Access
The monkeypox outbreak is causing new waves of illness and suffering around the world. We are writing to urge you to step up in the global fight against this virus by allocating more Jynneos (MVA-BN) doses at not-for-profit prices to LMICs.
August 31, 2022, Public Citizen Analysis Reveals Shocking Global Monkeypox Vaccine Inequity
The U.S. government has the world’s largest stockpile of monkeypox vaccine, which includes stored vaccine bulk that could be converted to more than 10 million doses. Using the Defense Production Act, the government should rapidly convert the bulk into finished doses to help surge global supply. It should also work with partners to transfer technology and help shore up global vaccine production, including in Africa. (Related press release is here.)
August 19, 2022, Advocates Tell Biden: Develop Global Plan to Prevent Spread of Monkeypox
President Joe Biden must mount a global response to help prevent the continued spread of monkeypox and ensure equitable access to vaccines, advocates said in a letter sent to the White House today, following an announcement that vaccine manufacturer Bavarian Nordic would enter an arrangement to finish vaccine doses. (Related press release here.)
August 8, 2022, Zain Rizvi on the monkeypox vaccine monopoly
Zain Rizvi, researcher for advocacy group Public Citizen, explains how IP laws slow down manufacturing and distribution and give private companies the power to make huge decisions that affect public health globally. Listen to the podcast at Slate.
You can also read Zain’s July op-ed, co-written with Gregg Gonsalves, on monkeypox and the need to protect LGBTQ people at USA Today.
June 15, 2022, Public Citizen Smallpox Commitment Tracker
The WHO Smallpox Vaccine Emergency Stockpile consists of a physical stockpile of 2.7 million doses of vaccine held and managed in Switzerland by the WHO Secretariat, of which an inventory was completed in January 2023, and a pledged stockpile of 28 million doses held by the Member States: France, Germany, Japan and the US. The UK provided a financial contribution to procure vaccine for the WHO physical stockpile. Public Citizen identified the specific national commitments from a review of publicly available records. The tracker is up to date as of January 2024.
June 13, 2022, Public Citizen letter Urging U.S. Government to Share Smallpox Vaccines
We urge you to fulfill the U.S. pledge to share smallpox vaccines with the WHO and help lead the global response against monkeypox. The U.S. committed 20 million doses of smallpox vaccine to the global stockpile managed by the WHO to be available for WHO to use in the event of an emergency. The emergency contemplated at the time was smallpox. Now, a monkeypox outbreak has emerged. Smallpox vaccines are considered to provide some protection against monkeypox. (Related press release here.)