VBI Vaccines Inc. announced that PreHevbri® (Hepatitis B vaccine (recombinant, adsorbed)) is now available in the Netherlands and Belgium for active immunization against infection caused by all known subtypes of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) in adults. It can be expected that hepatitis D will also be prevented by immunization with PreHevbri as hepatitis D (caused by the delta agent) does not occur in the absence of hepatitis B infection. As part of the marketing and distribution partnership announced in September 2022, PreHevbri will be available in the Netherlands and Belgium through Valneva?s existing commercial infrastructure and distribution networks.

Hepatitis B is one of the world?s most significant infectious disease threats with more than 290 million people infected globally. HBV infection is the leading cause of liver disease and, with current treatments, it is very difficult to cure, with many patients going on to develop liver cancers. An estimated 900,000 people die each year from complications of chronic HBV such as liver decompensation, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma.

PreHevbri is the only 3-antigen hepatitis B vaccine, comprised of the three hepatitis B surface antigens of the hepatitis B virus ? S, pre-S1, and pre-S2. It is approved for use in the European Union/European Economic Area, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Israel.

The brand names for this vaccine are: PreHevbri® (EU/EEA/UK), PreHevbrio® (US/Canada), and Sci-B-Vac® (Israel).