Scanning the news sites this morning, and Monkeypox article is the headline for Fox:
Also at the top of the BBC:
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Didn’t see it mentioned in the thread (maybe I missed it), but on Friday I loaded up on shares of TNXP (Tonix Pharmaceuticals) at $2.10 and saw 24% (14% intra and 10% in AH) run on the day and closed at $2.83. Given news of spreading has continued to grow over the weekend, it might still be a good add on Monday for those looking to invest in a company that could potentially play a role in developing vaccines in the future.
None of this reflects my personal opinions on monkeypox, but how I believe the market will react in accordance with continued spread. I’ve provided a link below of the website. They specialize in developing and repurposing drugs for viral infections that affect the central nervous system, like smallpox, covid, etc. In my opinion, it’s likely there’s enough correlation in what they are potentially capable of doing in response to monkeypox for continued upward price action.
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https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON385
Some interesting info in this article from the WHO.
The situation is evolving and WHO expects there will be more cases of monkeypox identified as surveillance expands in non-endemic countries. Immediate actions focus on informing those who may be most at risk for monkeypox infection with accurate information, in order to stop further spread. Current available evidence suggests that those who are most at risk are those who have had close physical contact with someone with monkeypox, while they are symptomatic. WHO is also working to provide guidance to protect frontline health care providers and other health workers who may be at risk such as cleaners. WHO will be providing more technical recommendations in the coming days
Description of the outbreak
As of 21 May, 13:00, 92 laboratory confirmed cases, and 28 suspected cases of monkeypox with investigations ongoing, have been reported to WHO from 12 Member States that are not endemic for monkeypox virus, across three WHO regions (Table 1, Figure 1). No associated deaths have been reported to date.
Reported cases thus far have no established travel links to an endemic area. Based on currently available information, cases have mainly but not exclusively been identified amongst men who have sex with men (MSM) seeking care in primary care and sexual health clinics.
Public health response
- Further public health investigations are ongoing in non-endemic countries that have identified cases, including extensive case finding and contact tracing, laboratory investigation, clinical management and isolation provided with supportive care.
- Genomic sequencing, where available, have been undertaken to determine the monkeypox virus clade(s) in this outbreak
- Vaccination for monkeypox, where available, is being deployed to manage close contacts, such as health workers. WHO is convening experts to discuss recommendations on vaccination.
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SIGA has a shareholder meeting on Tue 6/14 at 10:30am, looks like mainly a proxy vote for Board of Directors and also ratifying PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as their accounting firm:
https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/secfile/15759366
At the Annual Meeting, SIGA’s stockholders will be voting on proposals to do the following:
1.To elect nine directors to the Board of Directors of SIGA;
2.To ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm of SIGA for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022;
3.To approve an Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation eliminating provisions that are no longer applicable; and
4.To transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting and at any adjournment or postponement thereof.
May not be much to this 14-A itself, though I did think this list of peer companies may be interesting to look into. However, I don’t know how much (if any) exposure to monkeypox/smallpox vaccines or treatments any of them have yet. These were listed in context of deciding Board Member compensation based on the competition:
Setting of the peer group reflects a variety of factors, including: the industry specialization of potential peer companies, the number of commercial drug products in select geographic markets at potential peer companies, the historical market capitalization of SIGA relative to the market capitalization of potential peer companies, and the historical and expected gross and net cash inflows of SIGA relative to the actual and projected commercial revenue and EBIT of potential peer companies. This group of companies provides appropriate compensation benchmarks because of comparable quantitative and qualitative metrics and because these companies may compete with us for executives and other employees.
The group of companies within the current peer group includes:
Aerie Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Omeros Corporation
Biodelivery Sciences International, Inc.
Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Travere Therapeutics, Inc.
Mannkind Corp.
Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
The group of companies within the prior year peer group included*:
Acorda Therapeutics Inc.
Omeros Corporation
Alimera Sciences, Inc.
Otonomy, Inc
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Retrophin, Inc.
Dermira, Inc.
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Mannkind Corp.
Seems like SIGA and EBS are gaining a bit of social media traction over the weekend as well. Never did get filled on EBS last week sadly, but gonna be watching both alongside PFE; as FUD around the pox rises I think it’s safe to believe the vaccine makers will continue to see buying in the market. I also think I will wait a bit for more news before entries or at least scale in very slowly, I’m assuming after Friday the IV etc on these tickers’ options are jacked up and all over the place? Hopefully there’s some cooling off for everyone’s sake, some profits to take for last week’s buyers and some (re)entries for this week
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Sold half of the PFE 06/17 52.5c at 2.00 (up from 1.37)
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Managed to unload the last of my EBS 40c @ 4.20 
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Closed all out of my monkeypox positions due to the above, thanks for call out!
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Sold remainder of EBS 40c at 4.5
Didn’t like price action and SIGA going red
I still have my 35c for now
Out with the 35c at 6.00 (from 5.00)
Now all out of EBS and still in half my PFE position but at this point it’s more of a healthcare play for me as opposed to a monkeypox play. But the monkeypox sentiment could help.
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Looks like the US is just vaccinating close contacts. I might enter EBS puts tomorrow
“ The CDC said there’s no need for a mass vaccination campaign for the public.”
General consensus is this was spread at a rave in Europe.
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Finally filled to close my APT 06/03 4.5c for 0.20. Been waiting all day yesterday and they closed today at open.
Bought at 0.15 
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Need to do more research on monkeypox in general for work actually but just FYI BNTX would be the major player for mRNA-based vaccines rather than PFE, although they could potentially do another collaboration to bring anything developed stateside. MRNA could move fast though.
All that said unless there’s enough of a concern that this would be able to get an EUA rather than the full approval route it’s not likely any of the big players move into this space just given how expensive it’d be to develop a novel vaccine for a disease that ultimately has incredibly low prevalence, statistically it’d actually be really hard to run a clinical trial even. Would have to see what the current treatment options are rather than the vaccines - if nothing’s available, an EUA could be possible in the future, but if smallpox treatments work then I don’t see the big guys moving into this space besides maybe some preclinical work.
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Slept in the market open this AM.
PFE 06/17 52.5c all sold at 2.35 (up from 1.38 entry) and then went higher.
All out now
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Cases still rising. WHO sounds like they’re getting more concerned but it seems to be mixed, still vast caes are in gay men suggesting its from skin-to-skin contact.
Might be worth entering on a dip and ride the pop on news.
SIGA would probably be better as the liquidity on EBS options are dogshit.
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Moved 25% in after hours so far after announcing $12.5 million shareholder buyback. I think this is a bullish signal not only for TNXP, but possibly other related companies as it seems to indicate they expect an increase in shareholder value, which would presumably be related to the spread.
TNXP stock surges on share buyback plan (NASDAQ:TNXP) | Seeking Alpha
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SIGA and Emergent both speaking today at 14:20 - 15:05 at WHO Monkeypox meetings. Both may get a boost related to their engagement at this meeting.
Link to WHO meeting agenda: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/blue-print/agenda_monkeypox-research-priorities_june2022_webversion13.pdf?sfvrsn=1d0677d5_3
Cases worldwide have topped 8k and daily cases are currently increasing. Thinking about taking some calls for 2-3 months out and just let them ride.
Siga has been making higher lows although it’s failing to break above the 14.5 level.
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Wow… I remember when it was “first confirmed case in the US”… then it was 100… then this past week I think I read an article saying it was 6,000… This is the kind of exponential growth of another recent pandemic… hmm…
I also read that NYC was having some sort of problem distributing monkeypox vaccines recently?