VBI Vaccines Inc. (VBIV)
VBI Vaccines (VBIV) is a biotechnology company developing safe and effective vaccines that expand and enhance vaccine protection in both established and emerging markets. In 2Q16, VBIV and Scivac Therapeutics completed their merger. The merger turned VBIV into a commercial stage company with an approved HBV vaccine (Sci-B-Vac), a pipeline of preventative and therapeutic vaccine candidates, and two novel technology platforms.
VBI’s eVLP vaccine platform allows for the design of enveloped virus-like particle (eVLP) vaccines that closely mimic the target virus. eVLPs are designed to mimic the organization and conformation of viruses as they occur in nature, but without the viral genome, potentially yielding safer and more potent vaccine candidates. Because of their structural similarity to viruses found in nature, vaccination with a target protein expressed in an eVLP is capable of imparting greater immunity than vaccination with the same recombinant target protein alone. While VBIV is focused first on applying its eVLP technology to develop a vaccine to prevent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and Zika Virus, it is also looking to apply this technology in immuno-oncology in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and medulloblastoma.
The company’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’s Lipid Particle Vaccine technology (LPV), is a vaccine formulation technology that enables the thermostabilization of vaccines through a proprietary formulation and freeze-drying process, allowing vaccines and biologics to preserve stability, potency, and safety. Many vaccines and biologics are highly sensitive to temperature and physical stress, and many must be stored between 4°C and 8°C to preserve their integrity. Without proper storage, exposure to elevated or freezing temperatures can lead to a loss in potency or reduced safety, limiting protective benefits or therapeutic effects.