Emergent acquires MAb anthrax product candidates

Maryland, USA-based Emergent BioSolutions says it completed the acquisition of a group of anthrax monoclonal antibodies from Avanir Pharmaceuticals, including its lead product candidate, AVP-21D9.

AVP-21D9 is a human monoclonal antibody product candidate that is being developed as an intravenous treatment for patients who present with symptoms of anthrax disease following exposure to Bacillus anthracis. In non-clinical studies, this candidate demonstrated an ability to protect animals challenged with a lethal dose of inhaled anthrax spores. AVP-21D9 is being developed with funding support from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, including a grant to establish a current Good Manufacturing Practice production process and to test efficacy in additional inhalation studies.