FDA Approves Vaccines for Use After Known or Suspected Anthrax Exposure

Image courtesy of www.medicaldaily.com and Reuters. // Vials of the Anthrax vaccine sit on the counter at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina waiting to be dispensed to Marines, January 24, 2003. REUTERS

On November 23, 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the new use of a vaccine called BioThrax. It is to be used in conjunction with an antibiotic to treat persons between 18 and 65 years old who have been infected by anthrax.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a new indication for BioThrax (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed) to prevent disease following suspected or confirmed exposure to Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax disease. The vaccine’s new use is approved for people 18 through 65 years of age in conjunction with recommended antibiotic treatment. BioThrax was initially approved by the FDA in 1970 for the prevention of anthrax disease in persons at high risk of exposure.
Anthrax disease, especially the inhalation form, is often fatal if not promptly treated. Anthrax is considered one of the more likely agents to be used in a biological attack, primarily because its spores are very stable and easy to disperse. Although it is rare, people may contract anthrax disease through natural exposures, such as contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products.

“With today’s approval of BioThrax, we now have a vaccine that can be used, together with antibiotic treatment, to prevent disease after exposure to anthrax spores,” said Karen Midthun, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

FDA News Release: FDA approves vaccine for use after known or suspected anthrax exposure. November 23, 2015. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm474027.htm

Go to article