Full Press Release Details
Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. 8-K
Tonix Pharmaceuticals Announces Collaboration
with Kenya Medical Research Institute to Develop TNX-801 in Kenya as a Vaccine for the Prevention of Monkeypox and Smallpox Infection
Phase 1 Clinical Study Expected to be
Initiated in Kenya in the First Half of 2023
World Health Organization Has Declared
Monkeypox a Global Health Emergency
CHATHAM, N.J., July 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)
- Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: TNXP) (Tonix or the Company), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced
a collaboration with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) to plan, seek regulatory approval for and conduct a Phase 1 clinical
study in Kenya to develop TNX-8011 as a vaccine to protect against monkeypox and smallpox. The study is expected to start in
the first half of 2023.
"We are excited to collaborate with
KEMRI on the clinical development of TNX-801 as a vaccine to protect against monkeypox and smallpox in Kenya," said Seth Lederman,
M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Tonix Pharmaceuticals. Since ending routine vaccination for smallpox in the 1960's, monkeypox has
emerged as a growing problem among people in West and Central Africa. People who received the live virus vaccine for smallpox prior to
eradication appear to maintain durable protective immunity against monkeypox. TNX-801 is a live virus vaccine that we believe is closer
to the smallpox vaccines used in the U.S. and Europe before 1900 than the modern vaccinia smallpox vaccines. TNX-801 has reduced virulence
in animals, and we believe it has the potential for widespread use to protect against monkeypox."
"KEMRI is excited to plan this clinical
trial with Tonix, and ultimately to lead the trial," said Professor Samuel Kariuki, Director General and CEO of KEMRI. "Monkeypox
has spread in Central and West Africa, and there's a concern that we could begin seeing cases in the Eastern and Central Africa
or from foreign travelers. Recently, monkeypox has been reported in over 30 countries outside of Africa that were not endemic for monkeypox
virus. We are grateful that Tonix is committed to sponsoring clinical studies and making TNX-801 available for this important problem."
Professor Matilu Mwau, PhD,
of KEMRI said, "The recent global outbreak of monkeypox has exemplified the need to be prepared with a vaccine that is efficacious,
that provides for durable immunity and that blocks forward transmission. Tonix's live virus vaccine technology is designed to achieve
these outcomes. The West African strain which has recently spread outside of Africa has a low fatality rate, but the Central African strain
is reportedly fatal in approximately 10% of infected individuals. We want Kenya to be prepared with a vaccine that provides protection
and can be widely deployed without the need for sterile injections or ultra-cold shipping and storage."
TNX-801 is a live virus vaccine based on synthesized
horsepox2,3. Tonix is developing TNX-801 for percutaneous administration as a vaccine to protect against monkeypox and smallpox.
TNX-801 was developed as part of research collaboration between Tonix and Professor David Evans, Ph.D. and Ryan Noyce, Ph.D., the Department
of Cell Biology, University of Alberta. Tonix has previously reported positive data from a monkeypox challenge study in non-human primates4.
Tonix's TNX-801 was synthesized2 based on the sequence of the 1976 natural isolate Mongolian horsepox clone MNR-763.
Molecular analysis of
DNA sequences suggests that TNX-801 is closer than modern smallpox vaccines to the vaccine discovered and disseminated
by Dr. Edward Jenner in 17986-8. For example, recent studies9,10 have shown approximately 99.7% colinear identity
between TNX-801 and the circa 1860 U.S. smallpox vaccine VK0511. The small plaque size in culture of TNX-801 appears identical
to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control publication of the natural isolate12. Relative to vaccinia, horsepox has substantially
decreased virulence in mice2. Dr. Edward Jenner invented vaccination in 1798 and the procedure was called "vaccination"
because cow' is vacca' in Latin and the inoculum material was initially obtained from lesions on the udders
of cows affected by a mild disease known as cowpox. However, Dr. Jenner suspected that cowpox originated from horses8. Subsequently,
Dr. Jenner and others immunized against smallpox using material directly obtained from horses. The use of vaccines from horses was sometimes
called equination' from the Latin equus' which means horse'13. Equination and vaccination
were practiced side-by-side in Europe13,14.
Monkeypox15 is a contagious disease
caused by infection with monkeypox virus, a virus closely related to variola virus, which causes smallpox. Monkeypox virus belongs to
the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae. The Orthopoxvirus genus also includes variola virus (which causes smallpox), vaccinia
virus (used in the smallpox vaccine), and cowpox virus. After routine smallpox vaccination was stopped in about 1970, monkeypox has become
a growing problem in Africa. Recently more than 16,000 cases have been identified outside of Africa17.
About the Kenya Medical Research Institute
The Kenya Medical Research Institute is a
State Corporation established in 1979 as a Research Institute under the Science and Technology (Repealed) Act, Cap 250 Laws of Kenya and
operates as such under Legal Notice No. 35 of March 2021. KEMRI's vision is to be the leading centre of excellence in research for
human health. The mission is to improve human health and quality of life through research, capacity building, innovation and service delivery.
KEMRI has grown from its humble beginning over 40 years ago to become a regional leader in human health research. KEMRI is the Medical
Research arm of the Government of Kenya. It provides advice to the Ministry on various aspects of healthcare and delivery. National diseases
surveillance and rapid response capacity for major disease outbreaks (including, Cholera, Chikungunya Virus, H1N1 Flu, Yellow Fever, Rift
Valley Fever, Ebola, and Aflatoxicosis. In line with constitutional requirements, KEMRI has developed a comprehensive framework under
which the Institute has devolved its research activities and services, through seven regional clusters that serves the forty seven counties
under the strategic pillar of health research in the context of devolution.
About Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp.1
Tonix is a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, licensing, acquiring and developing therapeutics to treat and prevent human disease
and alleviate suffering. Tonix's portfolio is composed of central nervous system (CNS), rare disease, immunology and infectious
candidates. Tonix's CNS portfolio includes both small molecules and biologics to treat pain, neurologic, psychiatric
and addiction conditions. Tonix's lead CNS candidate, TNX-102 SL (cyclobenzaprine HCl sublingual tablet), is in mid-Phase 3 development
for the management of fibromyalgia with a new Phase 3 study launched in the second quarter of 2022 and interim data expected in the first
quarter of 2023. TNX-102 SL is also being developed to treat Long COVID, a chronic post-acute COVID-19 condition. Tonix expects to initiate
a Phase 2 study in Long COVID in the third quarter of 2022. TNX-1300 (cocaine esterase) is a biologic designed to treat cocaine intoxication
that is mid-Phase 2 and has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the FDA. TNX-1900 (intranasal potentiated oxytocin), a small
molecule in development for chronic migraine, is expected to enter the clinic with a Phase 2 study in the second half of 2022. Tonix's
rare disease portfolio includes TNX-2900 (intranasal potentiated oxytocin) for the treatment of Prader-Willi syndrome. TNX-2900 has
been granted Orphan-Drug Designation by the FDA. TNX-601 ER (tianeptine hemioxalate extended-release tablet) is being developed as an
antidepressant in the U.S., with a Phase 2 study expected to be initiated in first quarter of 2023 pending IND clearance. Tonix's
immunology portfolio includes biologics to address organ transplant rejection, autoimmunity and cancer, including TNX-1500, which is a
humanized monoclonal antibody targeting CD40-ligand being developed for the prevention of allograft and xenograft rejection and for the
treatment of autoimmune diseases. A Phase 1 study of TNX-1500 is expected to be initiated in the first half of 2023. Tonix's infectious
disease pipeline consists of a vaccine in development to prevent smallpox and monkeypox called TNX-801, next-generation vaccines to prevent
COVID-19, and a platform to make fully human monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19. Tonix's lead vaccine candidate for COVID-19
is TNX-1850, a live virus vaccines based on Tonix's recombinant pox live virus vector vaccine platform.
product candidates are investigational new drugs or biologics and have not been approved for any indication.
2Noyce RS, et al. (2018)
PLoS One. 13(1):e0188453.
(2006) J Virol. 80(18):9244-58.PMID:16940536.
Synthetic Chimeric Horsepox Virus (scHPXV) Vaccination Protects Macaques from Monkeypox* Presented as a poster at the American Society
of Microbiology BioThreats Conference - January 29, 2020, Arlington, VA. (https://content.equisolve.net/tonixpharma/media/10929ac27f4fb5f5204f5cf41d59a121.pdf)
5Tonix Press Release
Engl J Med. (2017) 377:1491.
7Qin et al. J. Virol.
Inquiry Into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae: A Disease Discovered in Some of the Western Counties of England, Particularly
Gloucestershire, and Known by the Name of the Cow Pox." London: Sampson Low, 1798.
9Brinkmann A et al, Genome
Biology (2020) 21:286 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-020-02202-0
10Duggan A et al. Genome
Biology (2020) 21:175 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-020-02079-z.
11Tonix press release.