Dynavax Technologies Corporation (Nasdaq: DVAX), a
biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing
novel vaccines, today announced it is donating 10,000 doses of
HEPLISAV-B adult vaccine to help protect healthcare professionals
on the front lines of the COVID-19 response against hepatitis B, a
potentially deadly virus that is spread through contact with
infected blood and bodily fluids and can live on surfaces for at
least seven days.
Direct Relief is administering the donation
program on behalf of Dynavax. Interested healthcare providers
and facilities throughout the U.S. who are vaccinating surge
healthcare workers and hospital staff can visit
DirectRelief.org/apply to learn more about accessing the donated
vaccine supply of HEPLISAV-B.
“The risk of deadly, blood borne pathogens, like
hepatitis B, are greatly increased due to the strained operational
and infrastructure issues and rapid deployment of surge healthcare
professionals into a stressed environment. With a heightened focus
on the respiratory transmission of COVID-19, there is the potential
to overlook typical precautions in the emergency setting,” said Dr.
Arun Jesudian, Assistant Professor of Medicine at New
York-Presbyterian Hospital - Weill Cornell Medicine. “This donation
of HEPLISAV-B to help prevent hepatitis B is an effective
protection measure we can implement immediately to help keep our
front-line healthcare workforce safe.”
According to the World Health Organization,
there are 257 million people worldwide living with chronic
hepatitis B leading to more than 887,000 deaths annually. The
hepatitis B virus is 100 times more infectious than HIV and there
is no cure.
“Thousands are risking their lives by stepping
up to join the surge healthcare workforce, many who may not have
received a complete hepatitis B vaccine series. We must do our part
by protecting them from known, vaccine preventable diseases,” said
Ryan Spencer, Chief Executive Officer of Dynavax. “That’s why we
are donating 10,000 doses of HEPLISAV-B to healthcare providers on
the front lines of the COVID-19 response. As the only
Hepatitis B vaccine that offers rapid protection to adults in one
month, compared to other hepatitis B vaccines that can take six
months or more, our goal is to protect first responders,
physicians, nurses, critical care personnel, and hospital staff who
deserve every safety measure we can provide.”
About Hepatitis B Hepatitis B
is a viral disease of the liver that can become chronic and lead to
cirrhosis, liver cancer and death. The hepatitis B virus is up to
100 times more infectious than HIV,i and transmission is on the
rise. There is no cure for hepatitis B, but effective vaccination
can prevent the disease.
In adults, hepatitis B is spread through contact
with infected blood and through unprotected sex with an infected
person. The CDC recommends vaccination for those at high risk for
infection due to their jobs, lifestyle, living situations and
travel to certain areas.ii Because people with diabetes are
particularly vulnerable to infection, the CDC recommends
vaccination for adults age 19 to 59 with diabetes as soon as
possible after their diagnosis, and for people age 60 and older
with diabetes at their physician's discretion.iii Approximately 20
million U.S. adults have diabetes, and 1.5 million new cases of
diabetes are diagnosed each year.iv
Please see Important Safety Information
below.
For more information about HEPLISAV-B, visit
http://heplisavb.com.
About Direct ReliefDirect
Relief is a humanitarian aid organization, active in all 50 states
and globally, with a mission to improve the health and lives of
people affected by poverty or emergencies – without regard to
politics, religion, or ability to pay. Direct Relief is
coordinating with public health authorities, nonprofit
organizations and businesses in the U.S. and globally to provide
personal protective equipment and essential medical items to health
workers responding to coronavirus (COVID-19).
For more information about Direct Relief, visit
https://www.directrelief.org/
About HEPLISAV-BHEPLISAV-B is
an adult hepatitis B vaccine that combines hepatitis B surface
antigen with Dynavax’s proprietary Toll-like Receptor (TLR) 9
agonist CpG 1018 to enhance the immune response. Dynavax has
worldwide commercial rights to HEPLISAV-B.
Indication and Use HEPLISAV-B
is indicated for prevention of infection caused by all known
subtypes of hepatitis B virus in adults age 18 years and older.
Important Safety Information
(ISI)Do not administer HEPLISAV-B to individuals with a
history of severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) after a
previous dose of any hepatitis B vaccine or to any component of
HEPLISAV-B, including yeast.
Appropriate medical treatment and supervision
must be available to manage possible anaphylactic reactions
following administration of HEPLISAV-B.
Immunocompromised persons, including individuals
receiving immunosuppressant therapy, may have a diminished immune
response to HEPLISAV-B.
Hepatitis B has a long incubation period.
HEPLISAV-B may not prevent hepatitis B infection in individuals who
have an unrecognized hepatitis B infection at the time of vaccine
administration.The most common patient reported adverse reactions
reported within 7 days of vaccination were injection site pain (23%
to 39%), fatigue (11% to 17%) and headache (8% to 17%).
For full Prescribing
Information for HEPLISAV-B, click here.
About DynavaxDynavax is a
commercial stage biopharmaceutical company developing and
commercializing novel vaccines. The Company launched its first
commercial product, HEPLISAV-B® [Hepatitis B Vaccine (Recombinant),
Adjuvanted], in February 2018, following U.S. FDA approval for
prevention of infection caused by all known subtypes of hepatitis B
virus in adults age 18 years and older. Dynavax is also advancing
CpG 1018 as a premier vaccine adjuvant through research
collaborations and partnerships. For more information, visit
www.dynavax.com and follow the company on LinkedIn.
Media ContactElizabeth
FatoneElizabethFatone@SamBrown.com310-963-5221
Contacts Nicole Arndt, Senior
Manager, Investor Relationsnarndt@dynavax.com510-665-7264
Derek Cole, President Investor Relations
Advisory Solutions derek.cole@IRadvisory.com
i
CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hbv/bfaq.htm
ii
CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hbv/hbvfaq.htm
iii
CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/hepb_vaccination.pdf
iv
CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pdfs/data/statistics/national-diabetes-statistics-report.pdf
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