Pfenex lands BARDA contract for anthrax vaccine

Pfenex Inc. (NYSE-M:PFNX) said HHS's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority awarded it a five-year contract with a total potential value of $143.5 million to develop Px563L, a recombinant protective antigen ( rPA) anthrax vaccine.

The contract includes an initial $15.9 million to fund manufacturing of Px563L and the first Phase Ia study of the candidate during a 30-month base period. The contract also has eight option periods, exercisable at HHS's discretion, that would fund a Phase Ib and a Phase II trial, as well as non-clinical efficacy studies and manufacturing costs. CBO Patrick Lucy said the timeline for the option periods is "dynamic" with some components overlapping, and is still being worked out with BARDA. ...