Human Genome’s anthrax drug improves survival rates

The results showed that a single dose of ABthrax, administered without concomitant antibiotics, improved survival rates by up to 64% when administered after animals were symptomatic for anthrax disease as a result of inhalation exposure to massively lethal doses of anthrax spores. The company said that these dramatic and statistically significant findings demonstrate a survival benefit in two animal species, which is the requirement for establishing the efficacy of new drugs used to counter bioterrorism.

In one of the animal studies, three groups of monkeys were exposed by inhalation to anthrax spores and treated with either ABthrax (raxibacumab) or placebo after they showed clinical signs of anthrax disease. After 28 days, the study found that, 64.3% of monkeys that received a single high dose of ABthrax survived (p=0.0007 versus placebo). And 50% of those that received a low dose survived (p=0.0064 versus placebo). None of the monkeys in the placebo control group survived.

A separate study that measured 14-day survival in rabbits also demonstrated a statistically significant survival benefit versus placebo.

Thomas Watkins, president and CEO, Human Genome Sciences, said: “We believe that ABthrax offers a significant step forward in the treatment of inhalational anthrax, and could play an important role in strengthening America’s arsenal against bioterrorism.”