VLN Biotechnology Hires Dr. Paul O’Reilly from the University of Ottawa

OTTAWA, Ontario - July 8, 2014 - PRLog -- VLN Biotechnology (VLNB) is pleased to announce that Dr. Paul O’Reilly has joined the Company as a Senior Scientist.  Dr. O’Reilly was most recently a Research Associate at the University of Ottawa.  Dr. O’Reilly completed undergraduate studies at Carleton University (Ottawa) and received his Ph.D. from the University of Ottawa.

Said Dr. Hari Vijay, Chief Scientific Officer, “I’m delighted that Paul has joined the VLNB team.  His strong background in cDNA cloning and antibody technologies will accelerate our development of novel mold immunotherapies”.

The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (http://www.acoem.org/) reports that approximately 5% of Americans (over 15 million people) have allergic symptoms from exposure to mold.  Exposure is generally unavoidable as mold and mold spores are found in almost every moist environment & thrive in a wide range of temperature and humidity.   Typical indoor molds in North America are the Penicillium and Aspergillus species, while prevalent outdoor mold species are Cladosporium and Alternaria.  Pharmacotherapy (e.g. oral or nasal anti-histamines, nasal decongestants) is used to palliate the symptoms of mold allergies but does not offer a cure.  Immunotherapy to treat mold allergies offers significant advantages versus pharmacotherapy because it can ameliorate the underlying pathophysiology of the allergy in a near-permanent manner.  VLNB is working on development of mold immunotherapy.

VLNB seeks to partner with companies and research organizations to accelerate commercial development of immunotherapy to treat mold allergies.  VLNB also offers customized consulting services led by Dr. Hari Vijay.

About VLN Biotechnology

VLN Biotechnology is commercializing immunotherapy technology to improve the health and quality of life of patients suffering from allergies to mold.  We are focused on improved detection of allergenic proteins responsible for allergic reactions and development of immunotherapy to alleviate symptoms of mold allergies.  VLN Biotechnology was founded by Dr. Hari Vijay, an acknowledged global expert on mold allergens.  For further information please visit www.vln-biotech.com.

VLN Biotechnology Inc.

5303 Canotek Road
Unit 20B
Ottawa, ON  K1J 9M2
Canada