NEW YORK, June 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SIGA Technologies, Inc., a commercial-stage pharmaceutical company focused on global health and infectious diseases, announced today an agreement to expand access to TPOXX (tecovirimat) to the member states in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a political and economic union in the region. This agreement, which was signed by the Ministry of Health of the Government of Brunei Darussalam on behalf of ASEAN Health Sector, is significant as it reflects the use of ASEAN funds to support preparedness activities for potential public health events. The contract was coordinated by SIGA and its international promotion partner, Meridian Medical Technologies, LLC, a subsidiary of Kindeva Drug Delivery.
A spokesperson from the Ministry of Health, Brunei Darussalam said, “We are pleased to support the ASEAN-wide effort to prepare for and respond to public health events. Ensuring adequate supply and access to countermeasures is a vital part of preparedness and this initiative by the region strengthens our collective health security against the Mpox threat.”
“At SIGA, we are committed to expanding our global reach and ensuring patients around the world have access to TPOXX, our best-in-class medicine to treat some of the world’s most devastating diseases, including smallpox,” said Victor Gomes, Vice President, International Markets of SIGA. “This agreement establishes a footprint in a highly populated region and sets the groundwork for additional activity in the future. Asia is a strategic region for SIGA and a contract providing for the initial procurement of TPOXX for the ASEAN region represents an important step in growing orthopoxvirus preparedness in the region. We look forward to working closely with our new partners at ASEAN.”
ASEAN, established in August 1967, is comprised of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Together, its member states represent a population of over 600 million with a GDP of $3.6 trillion. This union was formed primarily to accelerate economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in the region, as well as to promote regional peace and stability among the countries in the region.
The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
ABOUT SIGA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
SIGA Technologies, Inc. is a commercial-stage pharmaceutical company focused on the health security market. Health security comprises countermeasures for biological, chemical, radiological and nuclear attacks (biodefense market), vaccines and therapies for emerging infectious diseases, and health preparedness. Our lead product is TPOXX®, also known as tecovirimat and ST-246, an orally administered and IV formulation antiviral drug for the treatment of human smallpox disease caused by variola virus.
ABOUT TPOXX®
TPOXX is a novel small-molecule drug and the U.S. maintains a supply of TPOXX under Project BioShield. The oral formulation of TPOXX was approved by the FDA for the treatment of smallpox in 2018, and the IV formulation was approved for the same indication in 2022. The full label is available by clicking here. Oral tecovirimat received approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the United Kingdom in 2022. The EMA and UK approvals include labeling for oral tecovirimat indicating its use for the treatment of smallpox, Mpox, cowpox, and vaccinia complications following vaccination against smallpox. The full label is available by clicking here. In September 2018, SIGA signed a contract with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the office of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for additional procurement and development related to both oral and intravenous formulations of TPOXX. For more information about SIGA, please visit www.siga.com.
ABOUT ORTHOPOXVIRUSES
Orthopoxvirus, belonging to the family of poxvirus that infect humans, include smallpox, mpox, cowpox and vaccinia. Smallpox, a highly contagious and fatal disease, presents itself as a risk to global health security today given fears of its release accidentally or intentionally as a bioweapon. Mpox virus, similar to smallpox, causes intermittent human infections, painful lesions, and possible case fatalities. Mpox outbreaks have been observed recently in the US, Europe, and Central & West Africa. Whether through natural occurrence or potential bioweapon warfare, orthopox threatens global health. Anti-virals and vaccines serve as possible solutions to address these threats.
