Global Security Newswire

A New Jersey firm has won $9.4 million in federal funding for work on a new anthrax vaccine in conjunction with Harvard University, the Times of Trenton reported on Tuesday (see GSN, Oct. 12, 2011).

The funds, provided by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, would support efforts by the biopharmaceutical company Soligenix to create an anthrax countermeasure that would be capable of conferring immunity with only one dose and remain effective following long periods in storage.

"If long-term stability were achieved, the vaccine would have the potential to be stockpiled for general use and for postexposure prophylaxis,” Soligenix head Christopher Schaber said.

Washington has awarded more than $4 billion to date for efforts to develop superior anthrax vaccines that could be administered before or after exposure to the bacteria, according to the report (David Karas, Times of Trenton, Jan. 3).