U.S. Receives Experimental Smallpox Vaccine

British drug maker Acambis early last month completed delivery of 500,000 doses of an experimental smallpox vaccine to the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (see GSN, Nov. 14, 2005).

Delivery of the vaccine, known as MVA3000, fulfills Acambis’ end of a 2004 contract with the agency, according to a company press statement.

The vaccine was developed by Acambis and Baxter Healthcare SA, which produced the vaccines at its facilities.

“With the delivery of 500,000 doses of MVA3000 to the U.S. government, we have cleared the major hurdle of the NIAID's second contract for MVA vaccine,” said Acambis CEO Gordon Cameron in the press release. “By achieving this milestone, the Acambis/Baxter team has once again demonstrated its ability to manufacture and deliver large quantities of critical biodefense smallpox vaccines. Our proven manufacturing capability for MVA3000 can only strengthen the proposal we submitted to the U.S. government for the manufacture of up to 20 million doses of MVA” (see GSN, Oct. 4; Acambis press release, Dec. 2).

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