The Canadian Department of National Defense awarded today an $8 million contract for delivery of the anthrax combating drug Anthrasil to Emergent BioSolutions Inc.
The news comes on the heels of Health Canada’s approval of Anthrasil under new regulations. With that approval, it is marked for use in either adult or child patients against inhalational anthrax, so long as it is used in combination with antibacterial drugs. This is made possible by the Extraordinary Use New Drug regulations, which allow a means of use for drugs intended to help people, but for which ethically or logistically testing them in a clinical setting is not possible.
“Receiving Health Canada approval of Anthrasil and being awarded the DND procurement contract reflect the Canadian government’s continued commitment to anthrax preparedness,” Dr. Laura Saward, senior vice president and antibody therapeutics business unit head at Emergent BioSolutions, said. “Anthrax remains on the Canadian government’s list of top biological agents given its potential to be used in a bioterrorist attack. Emergent has a longstanding history and successful track record of partnering with governments to provide preparedness solutions in the form of critical medical countermeasures for these serious public health threats.”
Anthrasil was approved for use in the United States back in 2015. Following that approval, more than 10,000 doses of Anthrasil were delivered to the country. Strategic National Stockpile by Emergent. It remains to this day the only polyclonal antibody therapeutic for treating inhalational anthrax cases in either country.