African drugmaker in advanced talks to manufacture mpox vaccines

African drugmaker Aspen Pharmacare is in advanced talks with partners to manufacture mpox vaccines at its facilities, Chief Executive Officer Stephen Saad told Reuters on Tuesday.

"We are speaking to people, we have the capabilities, we can do it," he said in an interview.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) had earlier issued an emergency tender to secure mpox vaccines for crisis-hit countries in collaboration with the Gavi vaccine alliance, Africa CDC and the World Health Organization, the organisations said in a joint statement.

Depending on the production capacity of manufacturers, agreements for up to 12 million doses through 2025 can be made, according to the statement

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