PharmAthene Announces SparVax Anthrax Vaccine Data Published In Clinical and Vaccine Immunology

PharmAthene

today announced that new data from the Company's next-generation SparVax® recombinant protective antigen (rPA) anthrax vaccine program were published in the November issue of the American Society for Microbiology peer-reviewed journal Clinical and Vaccine Immunology. The article entitled, "Increasing the Potency of an Alhydrogel-Formulated Anthrax Vaccine by Minimizing Antigen-Adjuvant Interactions" describes achievements by PharmAthene scientists in optimizing the vaccine's formulation to maintain stability and enhance potency. The analytical data, generated through collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and other institutions, demonstrate that subtle changes in the interaction between rPA and an immune-stimulating adjuvant (Alhydrogel®) yield important improvements in immunogenicity, which correspond to better protection and enhanced survival in mice in an anthrax vaccine potency test. "There is a compelling need for next-generation anthrax vaccines, based on modern vaccine technologies, that offer the potential for improved safety, convenience and cost-effectiveness for the U.S. government and its citizens," commented Dr. Peter Fusco, Vice President, Immunobiology and Assay Development for PharmAthene.  "Subunit vaccines, like SparVax®, which consist of a purified recombinant antigen and an immune-stimulating adjuvant (Alhydrogel®), are being evaluated