Replies to post #473253 on Zeev's Turnips Patch-No Politics (ZEEV)

[marketmaven]

Major New Best-Practice Hires at Novavax (NVAX)

Novavax appoints Dr. Jinyou Zhang as Senior Director of Bioprocess R & D (NVAX) 5.31 +0.04 : Co announces the appointments of two senior biopharmaceutical scientists to augment the co's research and development and manufacturing capabilities. Dr. Jinyou Zhang, formerly senior investigator at Merck & Co (MRK), will serve as senior director of bioprocess R & D. Dr. Niranjan Kumar, who most recently was a deputy director at Sanofi Pasteur, has been named senior director of commercial manufacturing.

Novavax Strengthens Vaccine Development Team with Two New Appointments
Thursday May 11, 10:47 am ET

* Dr. Jinyou Zhang Appointed as Senior Director of Bioprocess R & D

* Dr. Niranjan Kumar Appointed as Senior Director of Commercial Manufacturing

MALVERN, Pa., May 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX - News) today announced the appointments of two senior biopharmaceutical scientists to augment the company's research and development and manufacturing capabilities. Dr. Jinyou Zhang, formerly senior investigator at Merck & Co., will serve as senior director of bioprocess R & D. Dr. Niranjan Kumar, who most recently was a deputy director at Sanofi Pasteur, has been named senior director of commercial manufacturing.
Dr. Zhang holds a doctorate in Biochemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and joined Merck in 1991. While at Merck, he established himself as an industry expert on culture media and upstream process, and made important contributions towards the process development of a number of natural products, vaccines, and other biologics candidates. He is an active member of the bioprocess scientific community, the author of over 30 research papers, and serves as editor/reviewer for several scientific journals.

Dr. Kumar brings over 17 years of global biopharmaceutical experience in R & D, quality assurance, quality control, manufacturing, and regulatory compliance from leading vaccine manufacturers including Sanofi Pasteur, Wyeth, Lederle Vaccines & Pediatrics and Merck & Co. He has combined his work experience with academic research at the State University of New York at Buffalo. At Sanofi Pasteur, Dr. Kumar led cross-functional teams in manufacturing, quality control, method improvement and reengineering, assay transfer, and quality operations. Dr. Kumar successfully led a Six Sigma Black Belt project to reduce variability and waste while increasing process yields for Sanofi's influenza vaccine manufacturing.

Commenting on these appointments, Novavax President and Chief Executive Dr. Rahul Singhvi said, "Recruiting top-notch talent and enhancing our vaccine development capability is important to our mission of successfully developing the virus-like particle based H5N1 pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccines. Drs. Zhang and Kumar bring world class capability to Novavax -- they are both proven leaders in their respective fields and are tireless problem solvers. We are delighted that they have chosen to join us at Novavax."

About Novavax, Inc.
Novavax is focused on creating differentiated, value-added pharmaceutical and vaccine products and technologies. The company's technology platforms include the virus-like particle (VLP) manufacturing technology utilizing the baculovirus _expression system in insect cells, as well as novel vaccine adjuvants based on Novasomes®, non-phospholipid vesicles and dendrimer technologies. The company is developing a pandemic flu vaccine against H5N1, H9N2 and other avian influenza viruses and a seasonal flu vaccine against human influenza strains using its VLP and Novasome adjuvant technologies. Novavax's drug delivery technologies include the micellar nanoparticle (MNP) technology which is the basis for the development of its first FDA-approved product, ESTRASORB®. In addition to MNP, Novavax drug delivery technologies include Novasomes® and Sterisomes®, solvent and oil free emulsions for subcutaneous depot injection. The company has several products utilizing the MNP technology in various stages of development.