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Knowledge Centre
Who is doing what in mpox R&D
The Knowledge Centre provides an entry point to a selection of ongoing mpox research studies.
We plan to develop a more comprehensive version with additional functionality, including searchability.
Please get in touch if you would like to add a project to the Knowledge Centre or update information provided here.
Brief summaries of major ongoing mpox research and R&D projects are provided below.
This list is not intended to be comprehensive. A more complete list of funded projects can be found on the Pandemic PACT website.
Teams
The Teams page provides a list of academic groups, companies, policy units, programmes and other stakeholder organisations with an interest in poxvirus R&D.
Project focus areas:
Ecology/epidemiology
Therapeutics
Host–pathogen interactions
Vaccines
Clinical care/IPC
Diagnostics
Social and behavioural science
Add/amend a project
Projects A–E
DECIPHER-MPOX
Title: Deciphering host genetics and viral determinants of mpox pathogenesis in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda
Summary: Cohort study to identify host- and virus-related factors responsible for susceptibility to and the severity of mpox infections.
Location: DRC, Uganda
Sponsor/lead: Makerere University, Uganda
Start: xx
Update:
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Enhancing surveillance and detection of Mpox across Africa
Title: Enhancing surveillance and detection of Mpox across Africa
Summary: Funding to support the International Mpox Response Consortium (IMReC), led from Canada, the DRC and the USA.
Location: DRC, others
Sponsor/lead: University of Manitoba, Canada
Start: August 2025
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
CAMP 2.0
Title: An Ongoing Community-based Interdisciplinary Model for Mpox pandemic Preparedness
Summary: Additional funding for an interdisciplinary partnership spanning Canada and Nigeria.
Location: DRC, others
Sponsor/lead: University of Manitoba, Canada
Start: August 2025
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Broadly neutralising antibody for mpox
Title: Efficacy of a Broadly Neutralising Monoclonal Antibody Against Mpox in Non-Human Primates
Summary: Evaluation of a broadly neutralising antibody – EV35-6, trageting A35 – in a non-human primate model.
Location: NA; preclinical
Sponsor/lead: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA
Start: 2026
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Community engagement in outbreaks
Title: Communities at the center of mpox and Ebola emergency responses: Driving local level impact through social and behavioural science
Summary: Rapid engagement with communities to capture experiences, priorities and concerns, and to co-develop recommendations for public health responses.
Location: DRC, Liberia
Sponsor/lead: WHO
Start: 2024
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
BIOVIRAL
Title: Biofuel-based Innovation for the optimisation of viral inhibition through alcohol-ligand modelling
Summary: Investigation of the mechanisms of action and viral targets of a newly engineered antiviral family derived from biofuel byproducts, jojobyl alcohols.
Location: NS; preclinical
Sponsor/lead: Norges Miljo-Og Biovitenskapelige Universitet, Norway
Start: 2027
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Cell death subversion
Title: Novel mechanisms of cell death subversion by monkeypox virus
Summary: Investigating how MPXV5 and potentially other viral proteins prevent cell death by pyroptosis.
Location: NS; preclinical
Sponsor/lead: University of Cambridge, UK
Start: 2025
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Projects F–J
IMPACT
Title: Innovative monoclonal antibody against poxviruses for advanced countermeasures
Summary: Optimisation, preclinical evaluation and phase I trial of broadly neutralising antibodies against OPG153 (MPXV A28).
Location: NA; preclinical
Sponsor/lead: Sclavo Vaccines Association, Belgium
Start: 2026
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Interference with antiviral signalling
Title: Subversion of cellular mitotic and antiviral signaling by poxviral kinases
Summary: Understanding how two poxvirus kinases, B1 and B12, interact with host cellular targets and disrupt host cell defence pathways.
Location: NA; preclinical
Sponsor/lead: University of Nebraska Lincoln, USA
Start: 2024
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
MBOTE
Projects K–O
Title:
Summary: Evaluation of MVA-BN safety and immunogenicity in children
Location: DRC, Uganda
Sponsor/lead: CEPI/Bavarian Nordic
Start:
Update: Safety and immunogenicity endpoints met (October 25)
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Title: Evaluation of Effectiveness and Safety of LC16m8 Mpox Vaccine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Summary: xx
Location: DRC
Sponsor/lead: IVI
Start: September 2025
Update:
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
MVA-BN safety and immunogenicity
MPX-001
Title: Understanding MPXV Viral Clearance, Transmission Dynamics, and Mpox Vaccine Effectiveness
Summary: xx
Location: DRC, Guinea, Sierra Leone
Sponsor/lead: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK
Start: April 2026
Update:
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Title: Molecular Biology, Outcome, Transmission and Epidemiology
Summary: Documenting and understanding mpox transmission in the DRC
Location: DRC
Sponsor/lead: Instituut Voor Tropische Geneeskunde, Belgium/INRB, DRC
Start: 2020
Update:
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
MOVIE-TRACE
MBOTE substudies
MOVIE-TRACE substudies
Title: Microneedle patch delivery of replication-inducible monkeypox vaccine
Summary: Evaluation of a novel MPXV vaccine based on a replication-inducible ACAM2000 vaccine delivered through a microneedle array (MNA) delivery patch platform
Location: N/A (preclinical)
Sponsor/lead: University of Pittsburgh, USA
Start: 2025
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Microneedle vaccine delivery
Title: Modelling Mpox virus infection during pregnancy in vivo and ex vivo
Summary: Exploring the pathogenesis of mpox infections during pregnancy in animal models and human tissue explants, and effects of candidate therapeutics
Location: N/A (preclinical)
Sponsor/lead: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA
Start: 2026
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Modelling mpox in pregnancy
Title: Advancing mpox outbreak control in Central Africa through epidemiological modelling, data-driven insights, and capacity strengthening
Summary: Modelling to explore potential vaccine impact, clinical record digitisation to investigate transmission pathways, serosurveys in Burundi, and genome sequencing in Angola.
Location: Angola, Burundi, DRC
Sponsor/lead: Imperial College London, UK
Start: 2025
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Outbreak modelling
Title: Investigation of monkeypox and other zoonotic diseases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Summary: Multiple activities to enhance the mpox response in the DRC, including training, enhancing surveillance, intervention trials, diagnostic assessment, zoonotic risk assessment and community engagement.
Location: DRC
Sponsor/lead: Kinshasa School of Public Health, DRC
Start: 2022
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Mpox in the DRC
Projects P-T
PregMpox
Title: Impact Of MPXV Infection on Pregnancy Outcome and Newborn Health
Summary: Cohort and nested case control study to assess impact of MPXV infections on maternal, fetal and newborn health
Location: DRC
Sponsor/lead: Universite Catholique de Bukavu, DRC
Start: xx
Update:
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
PregInPoxVac
Title: Pregnancy and infancy Mpox vaccine study
Summary: Phase 3 vaccine trial testing the safety and immunogenicity of MVA-BN in pregnant women and young children
Location: DRC
Sponsor/lead: University of Antwerp, The Netherlands
Start: August 2024
Update:
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Prevention and access to Mpox care
Title: A comprehensive approach to prevention and access to Mpox care in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Burundi, among HIV key populations and all stakeholders
Summary: Understanding perceptions of mpox, how information is disseminated through social networks, and healthcare-seeking behaviours are shaped in groups such as men who have sex with men and sex workers.
Location: Burundi, Cameroon, DRC
Sponsor/lead: Université Aix Marseille, France
Start: 2024
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Pathogen emergence
Title: Elucidating pathways of pathogen emergence and expansion within shifting landscapes in Africa
Summary: Exploring the dynamic interplay between reservoir ecology, pathogen evolution, human-mediated introduction pathways, and local transmission conditions and their contribution to pathogen emergence and spread (career development award).
Location: N/A
Sponsor/lead: Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Start: 2026
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Therapeutic development I
Title: Development of novel antivirals against mpox (monkeypox) virus
Summary: Advancing three candidate antivirals and determining their targets and mechanisms of action.
Location: N/A; preclinical
Sponsor/lead: University of Minnesota, USA
Start: 2024
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Therapeutic development II
Title: Discovery of Antivirals Targeting Mpox Virus
Summary: Advancing three candidate antivirals and determining their targets and mechanisms of action.
Location: N/A; preclinical
Sponsor/lead: Emory University, USA
Start: 2024
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Therapeutic development III
Title: Advancement of a poxvirus antiviral
Summary: Advancing pyridopyrimidinones (PDPMs), broad-spectrum poxvirus antivirals targeting poxvirus RNA polymerase.
Location: N/A; preclinical
Sponsor/lead: Boston University Medical Campus, USA
Start: 2020
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
THANATOS
Title: Therapeutic antibodies neutralising all the orthopoxvirus infectious for humans, including smallpox
Summary: Optimising ArAv87, a broad-spectrum, human-like, anti-L1 recombinant antibody, preclinical efficacy testing, and preparation for a first-in-human trial
Location: NA; preclinical
Sponsor/lead: Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, Cameroon
Start: 2026
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Testicular models
Title: Establishing human 2D and 3D testicular models to elucidate monkeypox virus tropism and pathogenic mechanisms in the testes
Summary: Using 2D and 3D human organoid models of testicular tissue to investigate MPXV tropism, invasion and pathogenesis
Location: NA; preclinical
Sponsor/lead: University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA
Start: 2025
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Pregnancy model
Title: Vertical transmission, pregnancy outcomes and treatment of Mpox virus infection in a translational pregnant macaque model
Summary: Development of a non-human primate model to investigate vertical transmission in early pregnancy, assess association between disease severity and adverse pregnancy outcomes, and to test the impact of early antiviral administration.
Location: NA; preclinical
Sponsor/lead: University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
Start: 2024
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Projects U–Z
Virus entry and neutralisation
Title: Structural and functional insights into mpox entry and neutralization
Summary: Identifying new protective epitopes, exploring the structural basis of MPXV attachment to human cells, and defining the optimal therapeutic antibody combinations against MPXV
Location: NA; preclinical
Sponsor/lead: Scripps Research Institute, USA
Start: 2026
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Virus entry and antibody exposure
Title: Decoding the molecular and antigenic interactions in orthopox virus entry
Summary: Mapping virus-host protein-protein interactions during viral attachment and cell entry for MPXV and vaccinia virus, plus sites accessible to host antibodies.
Location: NA; preclinical
Sponsor/lead: New York University School of Medicine, USA
Start: 2025
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Vaccine refinement
Title: Safer, more effective mpox/smallpox vaccine
Summary: Evaluation of a novel vaccinia vaccine lacking the ability to repair MPXV's truncated F3L gene, which renders MPXV sensitive to interferon defence mechanisms and could potentially be repaired by existing MPXV vaccines.
Location: NA; preclinical
Sponsor/lead: Arizona State University-Tempe Campus, USA
Start: 2025
Links: • Clinical trial repository • Project website • Other
Ecology/epidemiology projects
-
CAMP 2.0: An Ongoing Community-based Interdisciplinary Model for Mpox pandemic Preparedness
-
Mpox in the DRC: Investigation of monkeypox and other zoonotic diseases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
-
Pathogen emergence: Elucidating pathways of pathogen emergence and expansion within shifting landscapes in Africa
Human–pathogen interactions projects
-
BIOVIRAL: Biofuel-based Innovation for the optimisation of viral inhibition through alcohol-ligand modelling
-
Broadly neutralising antibody for mpox: Efficacy of a Broadly Neutralising Monoclonal Antibody Against Mpox in Non-Human Primates
-
Cell death subversion: Novel mechanisms of cell death subversion by monkeypox virus
-
Modelling mpox in pregnancy: Modelling Mpox virus infection during pregnancy in vivo and ex vivo
-
THANATOS: Therapeutic antibodies neutralising all the orthopoxvirus infectious for humans, including smallpox
-
Therapeutic development I: Development of novel antivirals against mpox (monkeypox) virus
-
Therapeutic development II: Discovery of Antivirals Targeting Mpox Virus
-
Therapeutic development III: Advancement of a poxvirus antiviral
-
Virus entry and neutralisation: Structural and functional insights into mpox entry and neutralisation
-
Virus entry and antibody exposure: Decoding the molecular and antigenic interactions in orthopox virus entry
Clinical projects
-
DECIPHER-MPOX: Deciphering host genetics and viral determinants of mpox pathogenesis in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda
-
Modelling mpox in pregnancy: Modelling Mpox virus infection during pregnancy in vivo and ex vivo
-
Mpox in the DRC: Investigation of monkeypox and other zoonotic diseases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
-
PregMpox: Impact of MPXV Infection on Pregnancy Outcome and Newborn Health
-
Pregnancy model: Vertical transmission, pregnancy outcomes and treatment of Mpox virus infection in a translational pregnant macaque model
-
Prevention and access to Mpox care: A comprehensive approach to prevention and access to Mpox care in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Burundi, among HIV key populations and all stakeholders
Therapeutics projects
-
BIOVIRAL: Biofuel-based Innovation for the optimisation of viral inhibition through alcohol-ligand modelling
-
Broadly neutralising antibody for mpox: Efficacy of a Broadly Neutralising Monoclonal Antibody Against Mpox in Non-Human Primates
-
Modelling mpox in pregnancy: Modelling Mpox virus infection during pregnancy in vivo and ex vivo
-
Mpox in the DRC: Investigation of monkeypox and other zoonotic diseases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
-
Pregnancy model: Vertical transmission, pregnancy outcomes and treatment of Mpox virus infection in a translational pregnant macaque model
-
IMPACT: Innovative monoclonal antibody against poxviruses for advanced countermeasures
-
THANATOS: Therapeutic antibodies neutralising all the orthopoxvirus infectious for humans, including smallpox
-
Therapeutic development I: Development of novel antivirals against mpox (monkeypox) virus
-
Therapeutic development II: Discovery of Antivirals Targeting Mpox Virus
-
Therapeutic development III: Advancement of a poxvirus antiviral
-
Virus entry and antibody exposure: Decoding the molecular and antigenic interactions in orthopox virus entry
Vaccine projects
-
MBOTE: Molecular Biology, Outcome, Transmission and Epidemiology
-
Microneedle vaccine delivery: Microneedle patch delivery of replication-inducible monkeypox vaccine
-
MOVIE-TRACE: Understanding MPXV Viral Clearance, Transmission Dynamics, and Mpox Vaccine Effectiveness
-
Mpox in the DRC: Investigation of monkeypox and other zoonotic diseases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
-
MPX-001: Evaluation of Effectiveness and Safety of LC16m8 Mpox Vaccine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
-
PregInPoxVac: Pregnancy and infancy Mpox vaccine study
-
Vaccine refinement: Safer, more effective mpox/smallpox vaccine
-
Virus entry and neutralisation: Structural and functional insights into mpox entry and neutralisation
-
Virus entry and antibody exposure: Decoding the molecular and antigenic interactions in orthopox virus entry
Social and behavioural science projects
-
Community engagement in outbreaks: Communities at the centre of mpox and Ebola emergency responses: Driving local level impact through social and behavioural science
-
Mpox in the DRC: Investigation of monkeypox and other zoonotic diseases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
-
Prevention and access to Mpox care: A comprehensive approach to prevention and access to Mpox care in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Burundi, among HIV key populations and all stakeholders
Submit information
If you would like to add a project to the Knowledge Centre or update information provided here, please complete this form or contact PoxvirusCorc@witsrhi.ac.za.