As concerns over biological threats persist globally, governments are quietly expanding their stockpiles of smallpox medical countermeasures — products that have grown increasingly relevant in an era that has already seen mpox declared a public health emergency of international concern.
Emergent BioSolutions, a Gaithersburg, Maryland-based biodefense company, announced on March 25, 2026, that it has secured more than $60 million in new contracts for smallpox-related medical countermeasures. The largest portion — approximately $54 million — comes from the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), an arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which exercised an existing contract option to procure additional doses of CNJ-016, also known as Vaccinia Immune Globulin Intravenous (VIGIV). The remaining $6.6 million covers incremental orders from an unnamed international government partner for ACAM2000, a live vaccinia vaccine approved for the prevention of both smallpox and mpox.
VIGIV is a U.S. FDA-approved treatment used to manage complications arising from smallpox vaccination, including conditions such as eczema vaccinatum and progressive vaccinia. ACAM2000 is a live-virus vaccine indicated for active immunization against smallpox and mpox in individuals identified as high-risk. Both products sit within what the company describes as its medical countermeasures portfolio.
The ASPR procurement draws on an existing ten-year contract, with the agency exercising an option for additional doses rather than initiating a new procurement. The international orders come from a recurring customer, according to the company, suggesting an ongoing procurement relationship rather than a one-time transaction.
These transactions reflect a broader pattern of government investment in smallpox preparedness that extends beyond the United States. Earlier in 2026, Emergent disclosed multi-year agreements with the Government of Canada valued at up to $140 million CAD to support that country’s biological threat preparedness infrastructure, with more than $35 million CAD in orders expected in 2026 alone.
Although smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980, it remains a recognized bioterrorism threat, and global health security frameworks continue to treat it as a high-consequence risk requiring maintained countermeasure capacity. The parallel applicability of ACAM2000 to mpox — a pathogen that has caused multiple international outbreaks in recent years — adds another dimension to the public health relevance of these stockpiling decisions.
Sources and further reading:
Emergent BioSolutions Secures over $60 Million in New Contract Award with the U.S. Government and New Orders with an International Government Partner for Smallpox Medical Countermeasures – Emergent BioSolutions