PharmAthene Inc. is a biodefense company focused on developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical weapons. The company today issued an update on its Protective Antigen (rPA) anthrax vaccine development program, noting that it recently demonstrated the vaccine as structurally stable at various temperatures.
Non-clinical data results show improved immunogenicity of the lyophilized vaccine formulation when compared to the liquid formulation. The results will be presented at the upcoming 2010 International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases, July 11-14 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Eric I. Richman, president and interim CEO, said the company is working with strategic partners to seek out advancements for its products.
“PharmAthene is committed to working with and serving the needs of our customer, the United States government, through the innovation and development of next generation anthrax vaccines that offer important enhancements over first generation products. We have developed a portfolio of leading anthrax countermeasures encompassing second and third generation anthrax vaccine candidates based on rPA and a novel anti-toxin therapeutic, which meet these criteria,” Richman stated in the press release. “We continue to work closely with our partners at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to advance these important medical countermeasures to protect Americans at home and on the battlefield.”
PharmAthene’s portfolio of products is aimed at meeting global next-generation vaccine technology needs, including SparVax™, a second generation recombinant protective antigen (rPA) anthrax vaccine; third generation rPA anthrax vaccine; Valortim®, a fully human monoclonal antibody for the prevention and treatment of anthrax infection; and Protexia®, a novel bioscavenger for the prevention and treatment of morbidity and mortality associated with exposure to chemical nerve agents.
“As we focus on meeting the needs of our customer today with the development of improved, second-generation vaccines, we are also working concomitantly to innovate the next generation of anthrax vaccines that will deliver even greater benefit to our nation and its citizens. One of the goals of our rPA program is to develop a stable cold-chain-free vaccine, which could be stored and distributed at room temperature – an important advantage for deployment in the civilian Strategic National Stockpile. Although at an earlier stage of development, a lyophilized formulation of rPA could meet the requirements for a cold-chain-free vaccine and we are enthusiastic about the prospects for this program,” Richman stated.
For more information visit www.PharmAthene.com
Let us hear your thoughts below:
