ROCKVILLE, Md. — Emergent BioSolutions Inc. announced in September 2009 that it received a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to continue the development of an advanced anthrax vaccine candidates known as dmPA7909.
The novel vaccine candidate is designed to have characteristics that will meet the U.S. government’s needs for an advanced anthrax vaccine. Those include the potential to confer a rapid immune response following two doses, long-term stability to enable ambient storage in the Strategic National Stockpile, and the potential to be distributed in a national emergency without the need for cold storage.
“We are excited about receiving NIAID funding support for dmPA7909, one of Emergent’s next generation anthrax vaccine candidates in development,” said W. James Jackson, senior vice president and chief scientific officer of Emergent BioSolutions. “We look forward to advancing dmPA7909, along with our other vaccine and therapeutic candidates in our anthrax franchise, as we continue to support the U.S. government’s approach of funding the development of multiple medical countermeasures against the threat of bioterrorism.”
The anthrax vaccine candidate is composed of the double-mutant recombinant protective antigen (dmPA), which has been genetically engineered for improved stability. DmPA is adsorbed to Alhydrogel, combined with the immunostimulatory compound CPG 7909 (VaxImmune) and formulated as a dry powder.
Emergent BioSolutions is employing proven stabilizing technologies for each of the components in the vaccine formulation to maximize vaccine stability even at elevated temperatures and to extend shelf life.
This development grant provides $6 million over a two-year period for the manufacture of clinical lots, non-clinical safety and efficacy studies, and stability studies to demonstrate that the vaccine candidate can withstand high temperatures up to 37oC.
Emergent BioSolutions’ BioThrax (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed) is the only vaccine licensed by the FDA for the prevention of anthrax infection. Since 1998, the U.S. government has procured over 34.5 million doses of BioThrax. During that time period, nearly 8.7 million doses have been administered to more than 2.2 million military personnel.
