ABL News

ABL Awarded Subcontract for the Production of an Inactivated Zika Virus Vaccine

  • August 4, 2016

Rockville, MD – ABL, Inc. (ABL), a global contract research and manufacturing organization, today 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.”

About ABL, Inc.
ABL, Inc. is a global biomedical contract research and manufacturing organization dedicated to advancing therapeutics, vaccines and other biologic products. ABL has extensive experience working with diverse organizations, including industry, government and academic entities. With GMP facilities meeting U.S. and European regulatory standards, ABL’s manufacturing services include process and assay development, GMP biologics manufacturing of bulk drug substance, GMP aseptic fill and finish of drug product, and QC analytics. ABL also maintains U.S. and European immunological and molecular laboratories to support preclinical and GCLP clinical sample processing and testing. ABL is a part of the Institut Mérieux, a group of companies dedicated to developing translational science for better patient care globally. For more information on ABL and our services, please visit our website at www.ablinc.com.