HHS supporting the development of single dose nasal spray anthrax vaccine

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Monday that one of the nation’s Centers for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing (CIADM) will support the development of NasoShield, a second-generation anthrax vaccine.

“Anthrax remains a material threat to our national health security,” Dr. Richard Hatchett, acting BARDA director, said. “To help combat the health impacts of an anthrax attack, BARDA partnered with several biotechnology firms in accelerating development of promising next-generation treatments against anthrax infection. Engaging one of our Centers for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing represents a unique approach to this development.”

NasoShield, developed by Altimmune of Gaithersburg, Maryland, is a nasally administered, single dose spray to protect against inhalation anthrax. The vaccine applies technology known as the adenovirus 5 viral vectored delivery system, where a non-infectious virus is modified to include genetic material needed to produce an immune response against anthrax. This project becomes the first BARDA-supported development of an anthrax vaccine that uses this delivery system.

The development follows a task order issued by HHS’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). The CIADM, led by the Texas A&M University System, will begin advanced development and manufacturing activities for the investigational NasoShield vaccine under an 18-month, $10.49 million task order from ASPR’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

BARDA hopes that this option proves to extend shelf life and provides a lower-cost option to stockpiling the only currently licensed anthrax vaccine, BioThrax.