Anthrax Vaccine - Now Less Shots

Emergent BioSolutions has been successful in convincing the FDA that it can confer immunity from anthrax with five shots now, instead of six shots.

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (EBS:  News ) announced that FDA has approved its supplemental Biologics License Application or sBLA for Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed or BioThrax to prevent disease caused by Bacillus anthracis. The approval for supplement license was based on an interim analysis of data from a large multicenter study initiated in 2002.

The company said the supplement provides for a change in the route of administration and a reduction in the total number of vaccinations. The new schedule for BioThrax is five intramuscular doses at 0, 1, 6, 12 and 18 months, compared with the former schedule of six subcutaneous doses.

This is good news. In addition to costing the military less to administer to troops, it will allow the CDC to stretch its anthrax vaccine stocks for its Strategic National Stockpile at no cost.

Comments

[Kathy Hubbell]

It would be fine and good news if it weren't so outrageous. There was never a need for six shots of the anthrax vaccine in the first place; the original protocol was for three shots only. The military started using six shots in the 80's, and then, without study or investigtion, it was decided to change the label to reflect what the military was doing. No one remembers that. Check out the anthrax vaccine portion of our web site and read the timeline on the development of the anthrax vaccine - it will make you cry.

[Jason Sigger]

That's interesting news, not sure I was aware of that. I do believe it, because the medical professionals also made the same decision about Cipro after 2001 - doubling the length of time of taking the antibiotic from 30 days to 60 days in a post-attack scenario "just to be sure." Never understood the reflexive conservatism of the medical community and their need to overdo medications.