VBI Vaccines Inc. (Nasdaq: VBIV) (VBI), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation infectious disease and immuno-oncology vaccines, today announced the formation of a Commercial Advisory Board consisting of leading experts in public health policy, epidemiology, and vaccine development. The Commercial Advisory Board will work closely with VBI’s management team on pre-commercialization and commercialization activities and strategy for the company’s pipeline programs.

Members of the Commercial Advisory Board are Damian Braga, a member of the company’s Board of Directors who will act as Chairperson of the Commercial Advisory Board, Dr. Eddy A. Bresnitz, M.D., M.S.C.E., Dr. Michael D. Decker, M.D., M.P.H., and Dr. John D. Grabenstein, Ph.D., R.Ph.

“I am excited to announce the formation of this Commercial Advisory Board as we advance our launch strategy for Sci-B-Vac®, our tri-antigenic hepatitis B vaccine, regulatory submissions for which are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2020,” said Jeff Baxter, President and CEO. “We are honored to have attracted some of the leading experts in public health and vaccine commercialization. Their decades-long experience, expertise, and networks will be invaluable as we strive to support public health initiatives, providing solutions for critical global challenges.”

Backgrounds on Commercial Advisory Board members are below.

Damian Braga

Mr. Braga brings three decades of vaccine experience from his tenure at Sanofi Pasteur, serving as Senior Vice President, Global Commercial Operations, from 2010 to 2015, as President, U.S. and the Americas, from 2008 to 2015, and as President, U.S., from 2002-2007. During this time, Mr. Braga was responsible for growing U.S. vaccine revenues from $766 million in 2001 to over $3.1 billion in 2015. He was also responsible for successfully launching both a high-dose and quadrivalent flu vaccine, generating over $1.5 billion in global flu vaccine annual revenue. Prior to assuming responsibility as the most senior company executive in the Americas, Mr. Braga held a number of other roles within Sanofi Pasteur, including Chief Financial Officer for the U.S. Business Unit. Since retirement from Sanofi Pasteur in 2015, Mr. Braga founded DAB Consulting Services, a pharmaceutical commercialization consulting firm, and since 2017, he has served on the advisory board for VaxCare, a company that provides vaccination solutions for physicians, healthcare systems, employers, and school systems. Mr. Braga has been serving as a member of VBI’s Board of Directors since March 2020.

Eddy A. Bresnitz, M.D., M.S.C.E.

Dr. Bresnitz is an accomplished public health physician bringing over four decades of experience in academia, government public health, and the pharmaceutical industry, with a focus on the development of vaccines and implementation of vaccine policy. Dr. Bresnitz is currently serving as Medical Advisor to the New Jersey State Department of Health’s COVID-19 Response and was formerly the New Jersey State Epidemiologist with successive positions as Assistant, Senior Assistant, and Deputy Commissioner of Health for Public Health Services from 1999-2008. In 2020, Dr. Bresnitz retired from a 12-year career at Merck & Co., Inc., where he served as Medical Director, Global Medical Affairs and Policy, as well as Executive Director, Adult Vaccines, Global Vaccine Medical Affairs. As Executive Director, Dr. Bresnitz was responsible for the development and execution of medical affairs strategies for the adult vaccine portfolio that included pneumococcal, herpes zoster, and the hepatitis A and B vaccines, Vaqta and Recombivax HB, respectively. Prior to his service in the New Jersey State Government, Dr. Bresnitz was Chairman of the Department of Community and Preventive Medicine at Drexel University’s School of Medicine.

Michael D. Decker, M.D., M.P.H.

Current Adjunct Professor of Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Dr. Decker is a well-published expert on vaccines, preventive medicine, and public health policy. In 2016, Dr. Decker retired from Sanofi Pasteur after more than 15 years, where he was Vice President and Global Medical Expert from 2013-2016 and Vice President, Scientific and Medical Affairs, and Chief Medical Officer, Sanofi Pasteur U.S., from 2000-2012. From 1984-2000, Dr. Decker was a Professor of Preventive Medicine and Medicine (Infectious Diseases) at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He has also previously served as a Medical Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology from 1993 to 2001, and as Co-Editor of the International Journal of Health Governance from 2016 to 2020.

John D. Grabenstein, Ph.D., R.Ph.

Dr. Grabenstein is a global vaccinologist, pharmacist, epidemiologist, and public-health leader specializing in adult vaccines, implementation, and vaccine history. Currently, Dr. Grabenstein is president of consulting service Vaccine Dynamics SP, and is also Associate Director of Scientific Communications for the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC), a non-profit organization working to increase immunization rates and prevent disease by creating and distributing educational materials for health professionals and the public. Previously, he spent over 13 years at Merck Vaccines, most recently serving as Global Executive Director of Medical Affairs until his retirement in late 2019. Before joining Merck, Dr. Grabenstein served for 27 years in the U.S. Army Medical Department, achieving the rank of Colonel. From 1999 to 2006, he directed the scientific elements of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) anthrax and smallpox vaccination programs. As Director, Military Vaccine Agency, he was responsible for science, communication, education, and safety surveillance of military immunizations for 2.6 million U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard personnel deployed globally.

For more information, visit: https://www.vbivaccines.com/about/commercial-advisory-board/