Transgene: Positive Preclinical Results for its TG-MVA Vaccine Against Monkeypox
On Thursday in Strasbourg, Transgene presented encouraging preclinical results for TG-MVA, its next-generation vaccine candidate against monkeypox and smallpox. The program aims to diversify the global supply in response to current production capacity deficits and to leverage investments already made in the cellular manufacturing platform.
A Cellular Manufacturing Platform to Enhance Global Health Security
TG-MVA is a vaccine candidate based on Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) designed to address supply chain and production challenges currently concentrated among a limited number of manufacturers. The candidate utilizes an innovative manufacturing process on avian cell lines, capable of replacing the traditional method using chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF). This approach allows for scalable and reproducible production, thus circumventing known industrial limitations.
Transgene positions this initiative in a context of growing concerns about biosecurity and pandemic preparedness in Europe and the United States, combined with a substantial gap in vaccine capacity. The group emphasizes that these production innovations, initially developed for its Myvac platform, can be applied to the prevention of monkeypox and other orthopoxviruses.
Preclinical Results Comparable to Approved Reference Vaccines
TG-MVA was evaluated in murine and non-human primate models. The candidate demonstrated efficacy, immunogenicity, and a safety profile comparable to the currently approved MVA reference vaccine. The data show identical survival rates (100% in mice, 87% in primates), protection against disease severity including reduced lesion formation, and control of viral load. Immune responses include a level of neutralizing antibodies comparable to that induced by the reference vaccine, as well as broad humoral and cellular responses, including T-cell immunity, across all tested models. The safety profile proved comparable, with only mild and transient reactogenicity.
These data support the candidate's potential to address future vaccine supply gaps for monkeypox and smallpox.
Accelerating Towards Clinical Development
Transgene plans to rapidly advance TG-MVA towards clinical development, while confirming its ongoing strategic priority on its Myvac platform for individualized therapeutic vaccines and reiterating its financial visibility through early 2028. The data presentation was made on Thursday during an oral presentation at the World Congress on Infectious Diseases (WCID) 2026 in Strasbourg, by Nathalie Silvestre, head of the Vectorology Laboratory at Transgene.
