Nature of the business and organization

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Nature of the business and organization [Abstract]

Nature of the business and organization

1.Nature of the business and organization

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (the "Company" or "Emergent") is a specialty pharmaceutical company seeking to protect and enhance life by developing and offering specialized products to healthcare providers and governments for use in  addressing medical needs and emerging health threats. The Company is developing products to be offered both to biodefense and commercial markets. The Company commenced operations as BioPort Corporation ("BioPort") in September 1998 through an acquisition from the Michigan Biologic Products Institute of rights to the marketed product, BioThrax, vaccine manufacturing facilities at a multi-building campus on approximately 12.5 acres in Lansing, Michigan and vaccine development and production know-how. In December 2001, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") approved a supplement to the Company's manufacturing facility license for the manufacture of BioThrax at the renovated facilities. In June 2004, the Company completed a corporate reorganization ("Reorganization").

As a result of the Reorganization, BioPort became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.  The Company subsequently renamed and converted this subsidiary to Emergent Biodefense Operations Lansing LLC ("Emergent Biodefense Operations"). The Company acquired a portion of its portfolio of vaccine and therapeutic product candidates through an acquisition of Microscience Limited ("Microscience") in a share exchange in June 2005, and acquisitions of substantially all of the assets, for cash, of Antex Biologics Inc. ("Antex") in May 2003 and ViVacs GmbH, Germany ("ViVacs") in July 2006. The Company renamed Microscience as Emergent Product Development UK Limited. The assets acquired from Antex are held in an entity incorporated as Emergent Product Development Gaithersburg Inc., and the assets acquired from ViVacs are held in an entity incorporated as Emergent Product Development Germany GmbH. On October 28, 2010, the Company acquired Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Trubion") for cash, equity and contingent value rights. Concurrent with the acquisition, the Company converted Trubion to Emergent Product Development Seattle, LLC.