Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc (INO)

[BettingAngles]

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE Amex: INO) announced today that a global vaccine industry leader has joined the company's Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Anthony Ford-Hutchinson, with over 30 years' experience in vaccine development and commercialization and formerly at Merck and Co., will contribute strategic business and scientific guidance as the company advances its preclinical and clinical-stage pipeline of synthetic vaccines for cancer, HIV, influenza and other infectious diseases. During his tenure at Merck, Dr. Ford-Hutchinson played a leadership role in the development of several new blockbuster vaccines, including Gardasil®, Zostavax®, Proquad® and Rotateq®. He was also responsible for the development of many important Merck drugs, including Singulair®, Arcoxia® and Isentress® for asthma, pain/inflammation, and the treatment of HIV infection.

Dr. Anthony Ford-Hutchinson, who retired last month from Merck as Senior Vice President, Vaccines Research and Development and Chairman of the Board of Directors for MSD Wellcome Trust Hilleman Labs, has held many other prominent positions at Merck in Canada and the USA, including Executive Vice President for Worldwide Research. He was responsible for all strategic decisions in Merck's vaccine R&D following appointment as franchise head in 2005, producing a pipeline with three vaccines in phase III trials and a number of others in earlier development.

Dr. Ford-Hutchinson said, "Inovio has assembled an advisory board of eminent scientists and vaccine leaders to provide expert advice in vaccinology, immunology, and vaccine development, and I am honored to join this elite group. As vaccine developers we have for decades sought to achieve immune stimulation with robust therapeutic and universal capabilities and I am impressed by Inovio's early data that support these goals."

This is looking better and better. Maybe a Merk acquisition??