US government "wasting $100M" on anthrax drugs

The US federal government has been accused of potentially wasting $100.0 million on anthrax vaccines because of unnecessary duplication and lack of coordination between two departments. The Departments of Defense and of Health and Human Services each purchase the anthrax vaccine BioThrax (anthrax vaccine, adsorbed), marketed by Maryland, USA-based biopharmaceutical firm Emergent BioSolutions.

However, a report by the Government Accountability Office has revealed that most of the DHHS stock is unused and over 520,000 doses of BioThrax valued at $12.0 million have passed the vaccine's expiry date. The auditors argue that, if a single inventory system is not established for the two federal agencies, most if not all of the anthrax vaccine stockpile will be wasted. The Associated Press reported that up to $100.0 million per year could be at stake.