How It Works
Anthrax bacteria produce three proteins known as protective antigen (PA), lethal factor (LF), and edema factor (EF). If the PA protein interacts with LF or EF on the surface of human or animal cells, the resultant toxins could be lethal to anyone who became infected with the bacteria (Figure 1).
BioThrax® (Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed) stimulates the immune system to produce protective antibodies against PA. When PA is blocked, LF and EF are not able to interact with PA and the toxins are thereby neutralized (Figure 2).
Figure 1. Mechanism of anthrax
Figure 2. Mechanism of BioThrax
Contains no whole bacteria
- Neither live nor dead bacteria are present in the final formulation of the vaccine
- The vaccine is a sterile product made from cell-free filtrates of cultures of a strain of anthrax bacteria not capable of causing disease
Promotes a natural immune response
- Aluminum hydroxide is included in the vaccine as an adjuvant to increase the amount of antibodies that the body makes in response to vaccination
For more information on BioThrax, please refer to the prescribing information.
