8 July 2026, Palazzo del Rettorato, via Banchi di Sotto 55, University of Siena
On 8th July the European Consortium IMPACT, a public-private partnership aimed at developing the first antibody-based countermeasure for orthopoxviruses, convened in Siena (Italy) for its official kick-off meeting. Hosted by the University of Siena at the Palazzo del Rettorato, this event brought together all project Partners for the first time since the project officially launched on 1 June 2026. This project is part of the Horizon programme, supported by the European Union for the next four years.
IMPACT unites leading scientific institutions and industry partners with a common mission: to accelerate the development of innovative solutions to protect against monkeypox (mpox) and other orthopoxvirus threats, addressing a critical public health need at both European and global levels.
Coordinated by the Sclavo Vaccines Association, the IMPACT project involves 3 additional institutions from Siena, Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena, University of Siena, and Philogen S.p.A., together with 7 additional partners from 5 European countries and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The IMPACT Consortium is led by Prof. Rino Rappuoli, Scientific Director of Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena, Dr. Emanuele Andreano, Head of Serology and Immunology of Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena, and coordinator of monoclonal antibody work package of the European Vaccines Hub, and Prof. Donata Medaglini, Deputy Rector of the University of Siena, Chief Scientific Officer at the Sclavo Vaccines Association.
The eradication of smallpox in 1980 remains a major milestone in global health. However, the discontinuation of vaccination campaigns has led to a progressive decline in population immunity to orthopoxviruses worldwide. Today, it is estimated that between 75% and 90% of the world’s population lacks immunity against variola virus and related orthopoxviruses, creating a growing vulnerability to emerging outbreaks.
Recent monkeypox outbreaks have demonstrated that orthopoxviruses remain a significant public health concern, underscoring the need for new and effective medical countermeasures. As these viruses continue to adapt and spread among humans, the need for effective and innovative countermeasures has become an urgent priority. Innovative solutions are urgently needed not only to address current public health challenges, but also to enhance resilience against future outbreaks and broader biological threats.
The IMPACT project is developing a new generation of broadly neutralising monoclonal antibodies to protect against monkeypox and other orthopoxviruses. These antibodies target OPG153, a conserved antigen recently discovered thanks to the use of the Reverse Vaccinology 3.0 approach, introduced by Dr. Emanuele Andreano, Prof. Jason S. McLellan and Prof. Rino Rappuoli, that combines human immunology, structural biology and artificial intelligence.
The project will integrate AI-driven optimisation of monoclonal antibodies and protein engineering to enhance antibody efficacy. Selected candidates will be tested in preclinical models, followed by GMP manufacturing and evaluation in a Phase I clinical trial. In parallel, under the project more than 1,800 human sera samples from infected and vaccinated individuals will be analysed to characterise the immune responses and identify correlates of protection.
By integrating discovery, preclinical development, GMP manufacturing, and first-in-human testing within a single framework, IMPACT will provide a scalable antibody-based countermeasure against orthopoxviruses threats, while strengthening Europe’s preparedness and response capacity against epidemics and other biological risks.
The IMPACT 2026 Kick-off Meeting was officially opened with welcome remarks by Prof. Roberto Di Pietra, Rector of the University of Siena, and Dr. Gianluca Polifrone, General Director of the Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena, and provided an important opportunity for Partners to align scientific, technological and operational activities, establish collaborative frameworks and define the roadmap for achieving the project’s ambitious objectives over the coming years.
Facts about IMPACT:
Title: Innovative Monoclonal Antibody Against Poxviruses for Advanced Countermeasures
Acronym: IMPACT
Duration and start date: 48 months from 1 June 2026
Coordinator: Sclavo Vaccines Association (Italy)
HERA contribution: 9,999,917.52 EUR
Project funder: This project is part of the Horizon programme supported by the European Union (Grant Agreement number: 101290754 — IMPACT — HORIZON-HLTH-2025-01)
Participants:
- Sclavo Vaccines Association (Italy)
- Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena (Italy)
- Universitetet i Oslo (Norway)
- Stiftung Tieraerztliche Hochschule Hannover (Germany)
- Commissariat À L’Énergie Atomique Et Aux Énergies Alternatives (France)
- Universiteit Antwerpen (Belgium)
- Università degli Studi di Siena (Italy)
- Instituut Voor Tropische Geneeskunde (Belgium)
- Universite de Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium)
- Philogen S.p.A. (Italy)
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them