U.S. Funds Anthrax Treatment Research

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department has issued grants to two companies to support the development of drugs that could be used to treat patients exposed to anthrax, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy reported yesterday (see GSN, Aug. 22).

The department directed a $12 million grant to Elusys Therapeutics in New Jersey to continue developing a late-stage anthrax treatment.

“In relevant models, [the treatment] has demonstrated complete protection against anthrax spore challenge with a single prophylactic dose, and has shown significant protection when administered up to two days after a lethal spore challenge,” said company President Elizabeth Posillico in a prepared statement.

The department also granted $9.5 million to Emergent BioSolutions in Maryland for development of a post-exposure anthrax immune globulin treatment that could be administered intravenously.

The drug is produced from blood plasma contributed by anthrax-vaccinated donors (see GSN, Sept. 27; Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, Oct. 3).

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