VaxGen Misses Deadline for Anthrax Vaccine Testing

California biotechnology company VaxGen has missed an extended deadline to begin human safety testing of its experimental anthrax vaccine, the Washington Post reported today (see GSN, Nov. 17).

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department gave the firm until Dec. 18 to begin testing, after initially setting the deadline at Nov. 13.  The company risked losing its nearly $1 billion contract to produce 75 million doses of the vaccine if it missed the new deadline.

However, the Food and Drug Administration has blocked testing due to concerns over the vaccine’s reliability.  That situation will remain until the company can prove “sufficient vaccine stability,” VaxGen said in a prepared statement.

“I don’t think we’re in a position to make predictions on how long this will take,” said Lance Ignon, VaxGen vice president of corporate affairs.  “We continue to believe that with the right kind of commitment, we can develop and deliver a modern anthrax vaccine.”

VaxGen is years behind schedule on meeting the vaccine order.  Health and Human Services has not decided whether to maintain or cancel the contract, said spokesman Bill Hall (Renae Merle, Washington Post, Dec. 19).

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