CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 8, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VBI Vaccines (Nasdaq:VBIV) ("VBI") is pleased to announce its sponsorship support of Le Classique, a 3-on-3 ball hockey tournament being held in Winnipeg, Canada on February 5th – 8th, 2015. Now in its third year, Le Classique is expected to draw over 2,000 individuals seeking to broaden congenital cytomegalovirus ("CMV") public awareness.
"Le Classique founders Marc Foidart and Rob Tetrault have combined their love of hockey with a very worthy cause," said Jeff Baxter, VBI's President and CEO. "We look forward to supporting Le Classique in their efforts to raise CMV awareness in Winnipeg and throughout Canada."
Originally founded in Canada, VBI maintains close ties to the country and its people. VBI's research facilities and the majority of its workforce are located in Ottawa, Ontario. In addition, VBI has participated in several Canadian government sponsored programs which have allowed the company to more quickly advance its product candidates.
CMV is among the most common congenital infections in Canada1, causing a host of prenatal developmental delays. Despite its prevalence, awareness of CMV among women of reproductive age remains low. A 2012 study published in Preventative Medicine revealed that only 7% of men and 13% of U.S. women surveyed had heard of congenital CMV.
"Until a vaccine can be developed and deployed, awareness is the best current tool we have to prevent future infections," said Le Classique founder Rob Tetrault. "Women contemplating pregnancy need to be made aware of the condition so they can understand and better manage potential infection risks."
100% of the proceeds from Le Classique will be donated to the Canadian CMV Foundation. To make a contribution, or to learn more about Le Classique, visit: http://www.leclassique.ca.
1 Vaudry W, Lee BE, Rosychuk RJ. Congenital cytomegalovirus infection in Canada: Active surveillance for cases diagnosed by paediatricians. Paediatr Child Health. 2014;19(1):e1-5.
About VBI Vaccines Inc.
VBI Vaccines Inc. ("VBI") is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel technologies that seek to expand vaccine protection in large underserved markets. VBI's eVLP vaccine platform allows for the design of enveloped ("e") virus-like particle ("VLP") vaccines that closely mimic the target virus. VBI's lead eVLP asset is a prophylactic Cytomegalovirus ("CMV") vaccine; VBI has initiated work for GMP manufacturing of its CMV candidate for use in formal preclinical and Phase I trials. VBI's second platform is a thermostable technology that enables the development of vaccines and biologics that can withstand storage or shipment at constantly fluctuating temperatures. VBI has completed proof of concept thermostability studies on a number of vaccine and biologic targets. VBI is headquartered in Cambridge, MA with research facilities in Ottawa, Canada.
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