Tpoxx is effective against human smallpox disease

By Brian Buntz | July 21, 2021

Tpoxx (tecovirimat) from SIGA Technologies is a unique small-molecule drug. In 2018, it became the first drug to win an FDA indication for smallpox. While smallpox was eradicated around 1980s, governments across the world have worried that the variola virus that causes the disease could provide the basis for bioweapons.

The U.S. maintains a stockpile of 1.7 million oral doses of the drug as part of the Strategic National Stockpile.

In August, the White House announced that it would ramp up supplies of the drug to fight the U.S. monkeypox outbreak, making an additional 50,000 doses available to states and local governments.

Filed Under: Infectious Disease
Tagged With: smallpox, Strategic National Stockpile, TPOXX

About The Author

Brian Buntz

As the pharma and biotech editor at WTWH Media, Brian has almost two decades of experience in B2B media, with a focus on healthcare and technology. While he has long maintained a keen interest in AI, more recently Brian has made making data analysis a central focus, and is exploring tools ranging from NLP and clustering to predictive analytics.

Throughout his 18-year tenure, Brian has covered an array of life science topics, including clinical trials, medical devices, and drug discovery and development. Prior to WTWH, he held the title of content director at Informa, where he focused on topics such as connected devices, cybersecurity, AI and Industry 4.0. A dedicated decade at UBM saw Brian providing in-depth coverage of the medical device sector. Engage with Brian on LinkedIn or drop him an email at bbuntz@wtwhmedia.com.