Date: Sep 15, 2011 Source: BARDA (
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Company: Vaxin Inc. of Rockville, Md.
Contract amount: Approximately $14.7 million over two years and could be extended for a total of up to four years and $21.7 million.
About the contract: Under the contract, Vaxin will conduct studies and develop manufacturing processes for the vaccine, AdVAV. In part these studies will determine whether the vaccine can protect against anthrax with fewer doses than the currently licensed vaccine, which requires five doses over 18 months with annual boosters to protect against anthrax. In addition, Vaxin will optimize and validate commercial-scale manufacturing processes for the AdVAV vaccine. The vaccine being developed under today's contract could be administered as a spray in the nose and given by non-medical personnel, making administration easier and potentially increasing the number of people who could be vaccinated against this potentially fatal infection.
Additional information: BARDA currently supports the advanced development of three other next-generation anthrax vaccines known as recombinant protein antigen (rPA)-based vaccines, as well as development of a new formulation of the currently licensed anthrax vaccine, Anthrax Vaccine Absorbed (AVA), that may require less antigen (the active vaccine ingredient) and fewer doses to be effective. AVA is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration only for use before exposure to anthrax. BARDA is also supporting the expansion of AVA manufacturing capacity.
BARDA is seeking additional proposals for vaccines, antitoxins, and therapeutics that potentially protect against anthrax infection. Proposals are accepted through the Broad Agency Announcement BARDA-CBRN-BAA-11-100-SOL-00009 at www.fbo.gov.
