ABL, Inc. (ABL), a global contract research and manufacturing organization, announced it has been awarded a subcontract by Emergent BioSolutions Inc. for the rapid transfer and GMP production of an inactivated Zika virus vaccine. The Zika vaccine program is funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and represents a critical response to the developing global risk of Zika infections.

ABL will support Emergent’s Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing (CIADM) program by providing GMP manufacturing, assay development, and release and stability testing services required to supply drug product for use in phase I human clinical trials.

Thomas VanCott, Ph.D., president and CEO of ABL, Inc. noted, “We are extremely pleased to be supporting Emergent and BARDA in this effort. Developing a safe and effective vaccine to combat the expanding threat of primary Zika infection, and its associated complications, is one of the most urgent medical health risks facing the world today.”

Dr. VanCott continued, “ABL’s virus manufacturing operations are designed to accelerate time-to-clinic by combining single-use, disposable technologies and flexible facility design with a staff that possesses decades of experience in product planning, development and execution. As a recent example of ABL’s emerging infectious disease capabilities, ABL contributed to the Ebola emergency response by providing rapid manufacturing of several candidate vaccines, as well as the development and manufacturing of critical analytical reagents used for testing vaccine efficacy and potency. We look forward to utilizing this expertise for the Zika program.”