Vigilant Biosciences' Scientific Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Elizabeth Franzmann, M.D., is Honored by Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce with 2016 Health Care Heroes® Award

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Vigilant Biosciences, Inc. ("Vigilant"), a leading innovator and developer of solutions that aid in the early detection and intervention of cancer, announced today that the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce has awarded Vigilant's Scientific Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Elizabeth Franzmann, M.D., with the Health Care Heroes Award in the biomedical category. This prestigious award recognizes the collective actions of the individuals, institutions and programs that have made an extraordinary impact on the South Florida healthcare community and whose acts of heroism represent a display of dedication to excellence in their area of expertise beyond the scope of their profession.

In addition to her leadership role at Vigilant Biosciences, Dr. Franzmann is a dedicated surgeon, cancer researcher and award-winning medical educator who is a member of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Director of Head and Neck Research and Associate Professor at the Miller School of Medicine Department of Otolaryngology. She has been presented with the Health Care Heroes Award in recognition of her groundbreaking clinical research on selective salivary biomarkers for oral and throat cancers and her extensive work in oral cancer treatment and prevention, a disease diagnosed in more than 600,000 people worldwide, and 48,000 in the U.S. each year. Dr. Franzmann's innovative clinical research serves as the foundation for Vigilant Biosciences' OncAlert™ Oral Cancer product line, which includes the first and only point-of-care and lab-based products that measure soluble CD44 and total protein levels – protein markers clinically validated to be associated specifically with oral cancer when measured in an oral rinse – to aid clinicians in the early detection and intervention of oral cancer.

"I am honored to be recognized by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and to be among the exceptional group of individuals and organizations who have received this award," said Dr. Franzmann. "I look forward to continuing my work to advance technologies for the early intervention of cancer in our community and around the world."

In addition to her clinical research activities, Dr. Franzmann is an award-winning medical educator who teaches head and neck cancer surgical skills and research techniques to University of Miami Miller School of Medicine otolaryngology medical students, residents, fellows and post-doctoral students. She also serves as a faculty mentor to University of Miami medical students who organize annual events to provide free oral cancer screenings to hundreds of at-risk people in Miami-Dade's most medically underserved communities.

Dr. Franzmann holds more than 40 patents in nearly 30 countries, and her work has been funded by foundations as well as state and federal agencies with the resulting research published in numerous, well-respected, and peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Franzmann has been recognized as one of the "Best Doctors in America," an honor that reflects fellow physicians considering her to be one of the most skilled in her field and most qualified for reviewing complex medical conditions. Dr. Franzmann received her Bachelor of Science and Doctorate of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.

About Vigilant Biosciences, Inc. 
Vigilant Biosciences is a leading innovator and developer of solutions that aid clinicians in the early detection and intervention of cancer. Vigilant's OncAlert™ Oral Cancer product line includes point-of-care and lab-based products that are simple, accurate and cost-effective, and empower healthcare practitioners to improve lives through earlier intervention. The OncAlert™ Oral Cancer LAB Test and the OncAlert™ Oral Cancer RAPID Test are CE Marked. The OncAlert™ Oral Cancer product line is not yet available for sale in the U.S.  For more information, visit www.vigilantbiosciences.com.

SOURCE Vigilant Biosciences, Inc.

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