Emergent Biosolutions will move manufacturing of anthrax treatment to Baltimore

Emergent Biosolutions doubled the size of its manufacturing facility in Bayview earlier this year. With an acquisition deal announced Wednesday, the life sciences company now has plans for the primary product that will be made there.
The Gaithersburg-based multinational is set to purchase an anthrax treatment from pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline in a deal that could be worth up to $96 million.
EBS is purchasing raxibacumab, an FDA-approved drug that treats inhaled anthrax. It already has the attention of the U.S. government. The deal also includes a federal contract to manufacture the antidote for the U.S. National Stockpile, which the country keeps in case of emergency.
 
“We’ve concluded that this is the product of choice for the U.S. government,” Emergent Biosolutions CEO Daniel J. Abdun-Nabi said on a Wednesday afternoon conference call with investors. It’s an interesting move for a company that got lots of attention for developing an FDA-approved anthrax vaccine. Abdun-Nadi said he believes the two products are “complementary.”
The company plans to move manufacturing of the its newly-acquired vaccine to Baltimore in 2020. It will be the anchor product at the Bayview facility, where bulk manufacturing will take place. The 112,000 sq. ft. spot is one of three Centers for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing that the U.S. Health and Human Services Department has designated to call if quick vaccine production is needed.
EBS’ other Baltimore manufacturing facility in Carroll-Camden will handle the fill/finish process.