Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) Exercises Option with Pfenex Inc. To Extend Contract and Increase Funding for the Development of a Recombinant Protective Antigen (rPA) Based Anthrax Vaccine

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Pfenex Inc. today announced that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), has modified its prime contract and simultaneously exercised an option associated with the existing Pfenex contractual relationship begun in July, 2010. This extends the prime contract and increases the funding to support the development of a next generation rPA-based anthrax vaccine based on rPA produced in its platform technology, Pfēnex Expression Technology™.  The increase in funding of approximately $8.0 million brings the total funding available to approximately $23.9 million over the course of the contract if all options are exercised. During the contract's base period, Pfenex demonstrated that a strongly immunogenic, stable and protective form of rPA could be expressed and recovered from the highly efficient fermentation of a strain of P. fluorescens engineered to produce rPA. The exercise of this option allows for the completion of preclinical studies, implementation of analytical methods and cGMP manufacturing.

"We are pleased with the results and progress provided by Pfenex's recombinant platform technology to the production of a next generation anthrax vaccine," stated Bertrand C. Liang, Chief Executive Officer. "The exercise of this option and increase in funding by BARDA enables Pfenex and BARDA to continue our successful partnership sharing a common objective to develop an anthrax vaccine with a process capable of achieving the goals of the Strategic National Stockpile for the U. S. Government, including production, shelf life, and administration improvements."

About Pfenex Inc.  
Pfenex Inc. is a biotechnology company developing biosimilars and innovative vaccines to address unmet and growing global healthcare needs.  Utilizing the company's core technology, Pfēnex Expression Technology™ for recombinant protein expression, Pfenex is able to rapidly develop and produce high quality biopharmaceuticals. In addition, Pfenex also produces and markets research proteins and reagent proteins for the research and drug development community through its Reagent Proteins division.  For more information please visit www.pfenex.com 

SOURCE Pfenex Inc.

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