Posted on 12/05/2004 1:26:41 PM PST by Shermy
FREDERICK, Md. - The nation's only maker of a licensed anthrax vaccine cut the ribbon Tuesday for a new plant capable of producing 100 million doses annually for sale to federal, state, local and foreign governments.
Emergent BioSolutions Inc., the newly formed parent of anthrax vaccine maker BioPort Corp., is buying a building for the $95 million plant in an industrial park south of Frederick.
The federal government has agreed to include a minimum of 5 million doses of Emergent's vaccine in a developing national stockpile of antidotes to biological and chemical weapons.
The company will continue operating its plant in Lansing, Mich., spokeswoman Kim Brennan Root said. That plant has supplied more than 5 million doses of anthrax vaccine to the federal government since 1998 for military vaccinations.
The Gaithersburg-based Emergent will immediately begin outfitting the 150,000-square-foot Maryland space, with completion expected in 18 months to two years, officials said. The plant will employ 100 workers initially and 300 to 400 eventually, officials said.
"While it is very unfortunate, it has become a reality that biodefense vaccines are desperately needed," Chairman Fuad El-Hibri said.
El-Hibri was optimistic about future sales of anthrax vaccine despite his company's failure to win the bulk of a new federal contract. On Nov. 4, the government said it would buy 75 million doses of a new-generation anthrax vaccine from VaxGen Inc., based in Brisbane, Calif., which is still pursuing a Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) license for its product.
Emergent has sold anthrax vaccine to Taiwan, Germany and Canada, and is pursuing other customers, El-Hibri said.
Bioport and Mr. Hibri back in the news. Small world..
Absolutely incredible: the government is actually boosting the business of a guy who may well have been directly involved in the anthrax terrorist attacks. These are certainly strange days we're living in.
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