Raxibacumab represents a new way to address the anthrax threat. While antibiotics can kill the anthrax bacteria, they are not effective against the deadly toxins that the bacteria produce. Raxibacumab targets anthrax toxins after they are released by the bacteria into the blood and tissues. In an inhalation anthrax attack, people may not know they are infected with anthrax until the toxins already are circulating in their blood, and it may be too late for antibiotics alone to be effective.

The July 9 edition of The New England Journal of Medicine published the results of two pivotal randomized placebo-controlled studies conducted in rabbits and monkeys to evaluate the efficacy of raxibacumab, as well as the results of human safety studies, which supported the use of raxibacumab in the event of life-threatening inhalation anthrax disease.

Raxibacumab is a first-in-class treatment for anthrax, and the first procurement under Project BioShield of a product discovered and developed after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Raxibacumab is being developed under a contract entered into in 2006 with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

SOURCE Human Genome Sciences