Wells Fargo analyst David Maris calls Emergent BioSolutions' multi-year contract from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority "very positive news." The contract represents a total opportunity of up to $1.6B, Maris tells investors in a research note. He views the news as confirmation that the U.S. government has not shifted its priority for biodefense of anthrax countermeasures, as some had feared. The analyst reiterates that the FDA could authorize the company's NuThrax under the Emergency Use Authorization mechanism as early as late-2018. Maris keeps an Outperform rating on Emergent BioSolutions with a $40-$42 price target range.