[Save the Date] SIGA to Participte in Virtual Global Healthcare Conference

SIGA Technologies, Inc. (SIGA) is an American public, commercial-stage pharmaceutical company focused on providing for the unmet needs of health security. Dr. Phillip L. Gomez, SIGA's Chief Executive Officer, announced today that he will participate in a fireside chat at the Cantor Fitzgerald Virtual Global Healthcare Conference scheduled at 8:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, September 17, 2020.

SIGA Technologies, Inc. and TPOXX^®

SIGA's lead manufactured product is TPOXX®, also known as tecovirimat and ST-246®. This is an antiviral agent prescribed for the treatment of human smallpox disease caused by variola virus which can be administered either orally or via IV. 

FDA approved the oral formulation of TPOXX® for the treatment of smallpox in 2018. 

In September 2018, SIGA signed a contract with Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority of the U.S. Government (BARDA) for the additional purchase and development of both oral and intravenous formulations of TPOXX®. This is worth potentially more than $600 million. Overall SIGA has been awarded by BARDA with more than $1.1 billion in procurement and development contracts.

Understanding Smallpox

Before naturally occuring smallpox was eradicated worldwide around 1980, it was a contagious, deadly disease characterized by a distinctive, progressive skin rash.

Although many people who were infected recovered, about three out of ten people with the disease died. Due to the success in vaccination, the World Health Assembly has declared smallpox eradicated in 1980. The last natural outbreak of smallpox occured in 1949 in the United States. Right now, even one confirmed case of smallpox would be considered an emergency.  

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Concerns Surrounding Smallpox

Currently, the only two labs in the world approved to conduct research on smallpox virus are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) located in the United States and the Russian State Center for Research on Virology and Biotechnology in the Russian Federation.

Because samples of the virus have been kept for research purposes, there is credible concern that smallpox can be someday used as an agent of bioterrorism. Although the vaccine can prevent smallpox, the current risk of the vaccine's side effects is too high, which means administering routine vaccination to people with low risk of exposure cannot be justified.

Virtual Global Health Care Conference

The Cantor Fitzgerald Healthcare team will be hosting the Virtual Global Healthcare Conference from September 15-17, 2020. The most innovative industry leaders from both public and private companies will be having an in-depth discussion regarding the trends in different sectors of the industry.

The leading speakers for this year's conference are Scott Gottlieb, the 23rd Commissioner of the FDA, and Andrew Dickinson, the EVP and CFO of Gilead Sciences.

For access to the live webcast, visit SIGA's website. A replay will be available for a limited time only following the presentation. 

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