There has been considerable research and testing on the Ebola virus with monoclonal antibodies and Emergent’s “primary focus of the contract is to develop a large scale manufacturing process for the monoclonal antibodies suitable for use in the clinic,” Emergent Director of Corporate Communications Miko Neri recently told Patient Daily.
“Being a part of this program with BARDA helps us move toward meeting our goal to protect 50 million lives by 2025,” Neri said. “It is also an honor to be a partner in assisting BARDA in meeting their mission and overarching vision ‘to respond quickly and effectively to deliberate, natural, and emerging threats so as to minimize their impact and recover promptly.’”
This contract is important because it contributes to the larger medical community and their research as well as protect the general population, especially with the current Ebola outbreak and deaths that started in March 2014.
“This contract provides a potential medical countermeasure that is comparatively rapid and scalable to manufacture for an emerging infectious disease with no known treatment,” Neri said.
Emergent is best known for manufacturing BioThrax, the only FDA-licensed vaccine to protect against anthrax disease. Emergent also develops and commercializes therapeutics and other specialty products for hospitals and clinics in the areas of hematology/oncology, transplantation, infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders to “protect and enhance life.”
