PharmAthene completes final commercial scale-up activities for SparVax

PharmAthene has accomplished significant progress in the development of SparVax, a second generation recombinant protective antigen anthrax vaccine.

PharmAthene’s rPA anthrax vaccine program has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, National Institutes of Health and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

The company, which has completed a 1,500 liter engineering production run for SparVax, has shown it is able to produce bulk drug substance for the vaccine at the final commercial scale for the product.

Executive vice president and chief scientific officer Thomas Fuerst said PharmAthene has developed a robust manufacturing process for SparVax with the capability to produce more than 200 million rPA vaccine equivalent doses of bulk drug substance at the 50 mcg dose range on an annual basis.

“The use of recombinant vaccine technology employing modern, industrial biotechnology manufacturing processes provides the flexibility to rapidly scale-up production in the event of a national emergency, which should enable a much more refined and cost-effective vaccine for the U.S. government and its citizens,” Fuerst said.

PharmAthene president and CEO Eric Richman said the benefits of next generation anthrax vaccines are well established and could yield potential improvements in cost, convenience, safety and effectiveness for the US government and its citizens.