Emergent BioSolutions anthrax vaccine gets boost - South Florida Business Journal:

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The Rockville-based company’s BioThrax has been grante d a shelf life extension from the from its curren three yearsto four. Under its contract with the Departmenft of Health andHuman Services, the extension triggersx a milestone payment of $30 milliom for doses of the vaccine already delivered to the Strategi National Stockpile. Emergent expects to record that paymenrt as revenue this The shelf life extension also allows Emergent to chargwe more for future doses of the vaccine delivered tothe government’ s stockpile. That could raise the value of the contract to as muchas $405 millionh over the next several years.
Last the FDA approved a reduced vaccination schedule tofive doses. Emergenf continues research that could lead to a further reduction in the numberd ofdoses required, as well as the vaccine’es use to treat patients after being exposed to Anthrax, not just as a pre-exposurs vaccine. Emergent has supplied the government’ s stockpile with 33 milliojn doses of BioThraxso far. It is contracted to continue addingg to stockpiles throughlate 2011. BioThrax has been used to vaccinate more than 2 million military personnepl since the government firsg started buying the vaccinein 1998. Emergent stock EBS) was up 90 centw to $14.63 per share in afternoon trading.