While some of these viruses are new and relatively unknown, others, like the monkeypox virus (mpox virus or MPXV), have been around since the 1970s but have been endemic to parts of Africa. However, the recent global outbreak of mpox—caused by a newly identified variant that is more infectious than previous strains—has raised concerns across the world, highlighting the urgent need for an effective, safe, and multivalent vaccine.

LC16m8 is an attenuated vaccinia virus strain that was originally developed in Japan for smallpox and was later approved for monkeypox in 2022. LC16m8 has demonstrated efficacy and immunogenicity in preclinical and clinical settings with non-human primates, confirming its potential against MPXV. However, further immunological and pathological analyses are required to fully characterize its properties in order to develop broadly effective mpox vaccines.

To address this paucity in research, a new study has evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of LC16m8 across three animal species.