Nature of the business and organization

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

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 global specialty biopharmaceutical company seeking to protect and enhance life by offering specialized products to healthcare providers and governments to address medical needs and emerging public health threats. The Company develops, manufactures, and delivers a portfolio of medical countermeasures primarily for government agencies in the areas of biological and chemical threats and emerging infectious diseases. The Company also develops and commercializes therapeutics and other specialty products for hospitals and clinics in the areas of hematology/oncology, transplantation, infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders. The Company has two operating divisions: Biodefense and Biosciences. The Company commenced operations as BioPort Corporation ("BioPort") in September 1998 through an acquisition of the Michigan Biologic Products Institute, which included: acquired 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. 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. 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. in May 2003 and ViVacs GmbH, Germany 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. In August 2013, the Company acquired substantially all of the assets of the Health Protective Products Division of Bracco Diagnostics Inc. ("Bracco") for cash along with contingent purchase consideration obligations. In February 2014, the Company acquired all the shares of Cangene Corporation ("Cangene") for cash.