The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded a 12-month, $26 million contract to Emergent BioSolutions on Wednesday for the continued supply of Vaccinia Immune Globulin Intravenous (VIGIV) to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).
Emergent BioSolutions developed VIGIV, the FDA’s only licensed therapeutic for the treatment of smallpox vaccination complications, on the company’s hyperimmune platform and has delivered it to SNS since 2002. Although rare, smallpox vaccination complications can include progressive vaccinia, postvaccinal central nervous system disease, and eczema vaccinatum.
“The VIGIV product is an important part of the government’s medical countermeasure strategy for addressing the smallpox threat and is synergistic with the company’s smallpox product offering, which includes our ACAM2000 smallpox vaccine,” Laura Saward, the senior vice president and antibody therapeutics business unit head at Emergent BioSolutions, said. “As the only FDA-licensed treatment for complications due to smallpox vaccination, Emergent is pleased to continue to supply VIGIV to the SNS in support of the CDC’s program to protect against this major public health threat.”
Under the announced contract, Emergent BioSolutions will conduct manufacturing runs, collect plasma needed for future manufacturing, and engage in other activities and requirements to retain FDA licensing of VIGIV. VIGIV has been licensed by the FDA since 2005 and by Health Canada since 2007.