$75 Million Contract Option Procures Anthrax Vaccines

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. today announced that the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority awarded a $75 million option to Emergent's existing contract to acquire the newly licensed anthrax vaccine CYFENDUS™.

The deliveries are expected to begin in 2023 and be complete in the late first quarter of 2024.

Previously known as AV7909, the CYFENDUS vaccine was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in July 2023 as a two-dose anthrax vaccine for post-exposure prophylaxis use in individuals 18 and older.

"CYFENDUS™ vaccine is a critical component of Emergent's anthrax medical countermeasures franchise and supports the U.S. government's anthrax preparedness strategy," said Paul Williams, senior vice president, products head at Emergent, in a press release on November 28, 2023.

Anthrax is considered a high-priority national security threat and has the potential for significant public health impact, says Emergent.

Anthrax is a serious infectious disease caused by gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria known as Bacillus anthracis, one of the most likely agents to be used in a biological attack.

Anthrax occurs naturally in soil worldwide and can cause severe illness in humans and animals, says the U.S. CDC. If you think you may have been exposed to anthrax, you need to go to a doctor.

However, anthrax is not contagious, which means you can't catch it from another person, like influenza.