The Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences plans to certify premises for the pilot production of Russia’s first smallpox drug, NIOKH-14. The drug, developed jointly with the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vector, is also effective against mpox (monkeypox), the institute’s director, Elena Bagryanskaya, reported at a TASS press center.
“With the support of the Ministry of Education and Science, we have created clean rooms that allow for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Certification is currently underway. We very much hope to complete this by spring,” said Bagryanskaya, noting that the production of the smallpox drug is planned to be launched at the site first.
Before NIOKH-14, Russia did not produce chemical drugs for the treatment and emergency prevention of smallpox (variola) and other orthopoxvirus diseases. NIOKH-14 targets orthopoxviruses specifically: it blocks the release of viral particles from infected cells, thereby suppressing the development of the infection.
Smallpox is the only infection that has been eradicated worldwide thanks to a global vaccination program. The last known case was recorded in 1977 in Africa. Currently, only Russia’s “Vector” and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have the right to store and research the virus.
Mpox (monkeypox) is a rare viral disease, the symptoms of which include fever, intoxication, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash of spots that develop into vesicles, which later form ulcers upon opening. The virus is transmitted to humans from wild animals such as rodents and primates, and spread through human-to-human transmission is also possible. Previously, Rospotrebnadzor reported that two cases of mpox were detected in Leningrad Oblast in tourists arriving from Thailand. Three other cases were detected earlier in the Moscow region, with two of the three infected individuals already discharged from hospitals.
