Immunovaccine Appoints Wayne Pisano to its Board
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 10/17/11 -- Immunovaccine Inc. (TSX VENTURE: IMV) announced today that Wayne Pisano, former president and chief executive officer of Sanofi Pasteur, has joined the Company's board of directors. Immunovaccine develops new vaccines for cancer and infectious diseases delivered via its patented lipid-based technology.
"During his 14-year career at Sanofi, Mr. Pisano played a significant role in making the company into the global leader that it is today," said Albert Scardino, chairman of Immunovaccine. "His acceptance of this role with us is a testament to the strength of our science and to the quality of the management team and board we have assembled.
"He joins our new chief executive, John Trizzino, and our earlier appointment of Brad Thompson, of Oncolytics, to give us a strong management and board structure as we continue to advance multiple vaccine candidates based on our DepoVax™ platform."
Mr. Pisano retired from Sanofi Pasteur, the world's largest human vaccine company, in February of this year. With more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, he was recognized in 2010 as Pharma Executive of the Year by the World Vaccine Congress.
His experience spans the spectrum of commercial operations, public immunization policies and pipeline development. He is widely recognized in the industry as having driven Sanofi Pasteur's success in the worldwide influenza market, capturing 40 percent of global sales. He also laid the foundation for the company's global pediatric vaccines strategy.
He joined Sanofi Pasteur in 1997, assuming increasing levels of responsibility. As senior vice president of global operations, he increased revenues to more than 2 billion euros for the first time in the company's history.
Prior to joining Sanofi Pasteur, he spent 11 years with Novartis (formerly Sandoz). He has a bachelor's degree in biology from St. John Fisher College, New York and an MBA from the University of Dayton, Ohio.
"This is an exciting time to join such a promising vaccine development company," Mr. Pisano said. "With opportunities to leverage its platform technology, DepoVax, in other vaccine candidates and with a second therapeutic cancer vaccine, DPX-Survivac, moving into a Phase I trial, I trust my background in strategy development, in-licensing, and global acquisitions will be helpful."
About Immunovaccine
Immunovaccine Inc. develops vaccines formulated in its vaccine delivery platform for cancer therapy and infectious disease. The Company's DepoVax™ platform is a patented lipid delivery system that presents antigens plus adjuvant to the immune system for a prolonged period and has the potential to enhance immune responses. Immunovaccine has taken its platform technology and proprietary cancer vaccine into Phase I human trials. The Company is also capitalizing on the broad potential of its delivery platform by creating new DepoVax-based vaccines through multiple development collaborations. In addition to the Company's human health preventative and therapeutic vaccine strategy, it continues to develop its animal health vaccine pipeline. Pfizer Animal Health has licensed the Company's delivery technology platform to develop vaccines for livestock. Visit www.imvaccine.com.
This press release contains forward-looking information under applicable securities law. All information that addresses activities or developments that we expect to occur in the future is forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of management on the date the statements are made. However, they should not be regarded as a representation that any of the plans will be achieved. Actual results may differ materially from those set forth in this press release due to risks affecting the Company, including access to capital, the successful completion of clinical trials and receipt of all regulatory approvals. Immunovaccine Inc. assumes no responsibility to update forward-looking statements in this press release.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Contacts: Immunovaccine Inc. John Trizzino CEO (902) 492-1819 [email protected] Immunovaccine Inc. Jennifer Cameron Director Communications (902) 492-1819 [email protected] www.imvaccine.com Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc. Andrew Mielach or Madeleine Desmond (212) 827-0020 [email protected] [email protected]
Source: Immunovaccine Inc.
Released October 17, 2011