The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) exercised a contract option with Emergent BioSolutions, Inc., on Tuesday valued at $11.6 million over a 12-month period for the supply of vaccinia immune globulin (VIGIV) to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed VIGIV for the treatment of complications due to smallpox vaccination. The contract stipulates that Emergent conduct manufacturing runs and additional activities to support and maintain VIGIV’s FDA licensure.
“Emergent’s VIGIV is the only FDA-licensed treatment for complications due to smallpox vaccination,” Adam Havey, executive vice president and president of the biodefense division at Emergent BioSolutions, said. “We are pleased that CDC continues to recognize the value of VIGIV in the stockpile for civilian protection when necessary.”
The exercised contract option increases the total contract value to approximately $92 million.
VIGIV was first delivered to the SNS in 2002 and was licensed in the U.S. by the FDA in 2005 and in Canada by Health Canada in 2007. The original contract included maintaining the ability to manufacture licensed VIGIV, with annual options to conduct additional services to support licensure maintenance activities.
Emergent BioSolutions is a specialized biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and delivers a portfolio of medical countermeasures for biological and chemical threat, as well as emerging infectious diseases.