Biosimilars outfit Pfenex ($PFNX) signed a deal worth as much as $143.5 million to develop an anthrax vaccine for the U.S. government's biomedical research division. Under the agreement, Pfenex will press forward with Px563L, an anthrax candidate that uses recombinant antigens to protect the body against viral infection. The U.S.'s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has committed to funding a Phase Ia study, promising funds for Phase II if things go according to plan. And if Px563L is a success, Pfenex believes it could be added to the U.S. stockpile of biodefense treatments. More