A Phase I trial of Avecia's anthrax vaccine produced data that demonstrates its safety and delivers early signs of efficacy. The U.S. government sees Avecia's development program as a key back-up to the $877 million contract that was signed with VaxGen. VaxGen's program, though, has been afflicted by a series of setbacks that has become the chief example of problems with the country's biodefense program. The UK-based Avecia is working with a $71 million contract. Their new data suggests that the vaccine is generating an immune response but the response is not as strong as the one delivered by the current vaccine.
- here's the AP report on the vaccine data