(Yicai) Sept. 10 -- China's first independently developed mpox vaccine has received regulatory approval for human trials, potentially playing a key role in preventing and controlling the infectious disease caused by the virus.

The National Medical Products Administration yesterday gave the green light for the Shanghai Institute of Biological Products' mpox vaccine to start clinical trials, according to the official WeChat account of the institute's parent company, China National Biotec Group.

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral disease similar to smallpox. First discovered in 1958, there have been multiple outbreaks globally in the past two years, most recently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and an increasing number of countries in Africa.

On Aug. 14, the World Health Organization declared the latest mpox outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern." According to data released by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Aug. 26, Africa had reported 22,863 cases since the start of the year, including 622 deaths.

Mpox is transmitted via close contact and enters the body mainly through broken skin and mucous membranes. Early symptoms are similar to those of influenza, including fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue, and some infected people may feel lethargic and sleepy.

The Chinese mainland experienced its peak mpox outbreak in the second half of last year, detecting 1,610 confirmed cases between June and November, with no reported fatalities.

China has not yet approved any mpox shot for marketing, and only a few vaccines adapted from smallpox inoculations are available in some countries and regions, such as the United States, Canada, and the European Union.

The jab developed by the Shanghai Institute of Biological Products uses the same technology as Danish pharmaceutical giant Bavarian Nordic's mpox vaccine Jynneos, which is based on the Modified Vaccinia Ankara strain, CNBG noted.

Besides traditional attenuated vaccines, Chinese and US pharmaceutical firms are also developing mpox vaccines based on messenger ribonucleic acid technology. Moderna's mRNA mpox shot is in the early clinical trial stage, while CNBG's three mRNA mpox candidates are being tested on mice, Yicai learned.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Futura Costaglione