Cangene, a Canadian-based biotechnology company, will process plasma to be collected from anthrax-vaccinated military personnel. The Department of Defense announced that the military would support a Health and Human Services and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) effort to create a new antibody-based medication against anthrax.
An anthrax immune globulin (AIG) could become a critical medical countermeasure in the event of an anthrax attack. Cangene is a leader in developing hyperimmune products and had already identified anthrax as a target. The Company will work with plasma-donation centres in Clarksville, TN, near the army installation of Fort Campbell, KY, and other locations at a later date.
Hyperimmunes are highly purified antibodies that react specifically with their target. Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Due to the hardiness of infectious spores, anthrax is considered to be a Category A biological agent.