U.S. to give BioPort another chance

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters on Thursday that the government is trying to find a way to help BioPort's anthrax vaccine program, but he suggested that the government may soon turn to other companies if there is not a quick turnaround. In 1999, BioPort purchased the anthrax vaccine plant, which was closed in 1997 due to quality control violation. Later in 1999, an FDA inspection of the facility revealed numerous quality control problems and several lots of anthrax vaccine scheduled to be shipped to the Army were quarantined, and the facility has still not received permission to resume operations (see BioCentury, Oct. 8). ...