HHS Buys Anthrax Antitoxin for Stockpile
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a component of ASPR, provided funding under Project BioShield for continued manufacturing and purchase of the treatment called Anthim or obiltoxaximab.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response will buy an anthrax treatment for $25.2 million from Elusys Therapeutics Inc. of Pine Brook, N.J., with HHS saying the purchase is part of its ongoing national preparedness efforts.
"Protecting the American people from 21st century threats, such as anthrax, remains a high priority for the department," said Dr. Robert Kadlec, assistant secretary for preparedness and response. "This procurement under Project BioShield ensures we continue to have treatment options for people exposed to anthrax and increases the number of courses available in an emergency."
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a component of ASPR, provided funding under Project BioShield for continued manufacturing and purchase of the treatment called Anthim or obiltoxaximab. The product will be delivered to the Strategic National Stockpile, the nation's largest supply of potentially life-saving medical countermeasures, for use in a public health emergency.
Anthim is an antibody-based therapeutic that can complement antibiotics by neutralizing the toxins produced by Bacillus anthracis, the bacteria that cause anthrax disease. The treatment was developed through a public-private partnership with Elusys and BARDA after early research funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.