CRANBURY, NJ, March 18, 2010 – VaxInnate Corporation today announced that Thomas Hofstaetter, PhD has been named President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Alan Shaw, PhD, who previously held that position, has assumed the newly created role of Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and becomes Chairman of the Board.  VaxInnate is a biotechnology firm that is pioneering breakthrough technology for developing novel vaccines. 

 “We’re pleased that Thomas Hofstaetter has agreed to lead VaxInnate as we begin a new chapter in the company’s history, one that will be marked by a focus on product development and major partnerships, areas in which Thomas has a solid record of success,” Dr. Shaw said.   

“Thomas will build upon the sound scientific foundation that was established by Alan Shaw, on whose leadership and vaccine development experience VaxInnate will continue to rely in his new roles as Chief Scientific Officer and Chairman of the Board,” added Philippe Chambon, MD, PhD, a VaxInnate Board member and Managing Director of New Leaf Venture Partners.  “We wish Thomas and Alan continued success as they collaborate in their respective new roles.”

Dr. Hofstaetter joined VaxInnate this year as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and member of the Board of Directors after more than 30 years in leadership positions at research-based pharmaceutical companies.  He previously held executive roles in research and development, strategy and business development, and general management in the United States, Japan, France and his native Germany. 

Prior to joining VaxInnate, Dr. Hofstaetter was Senior Vice President of Corporate Business Development at Wyeth, where he also headed Global Business Development for the company’s pharmaceutical division.  He served as a member of both the Wyeth Management Committee, reporting to the CEO, and the Pharmaceuticals Management Team. 

A biochemist by training, Dr. Hofstaetter holds a PhD in Molecular Biology, magna cum laude, and a Master of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Tuebingen in Germany.  

 “I am delighted to accept the challenge of taking VaxInnate and its paradigm-shifting vaccine technology platform to the next level,” Dr. Hofstaetter said. “I look forward to collaborating with Alan and the entire VaxInnate team to accomplish that.”   

Dr. Shaw joined VaxInnate in 2005 from the Vaccine Division of Merck & Co., Inc., where he was Executive Director of the Public Policy, Public Health and Medical Affairs group.  In his previous role as Executive Director of Virus & Cell Biology at Merck Research Laboratories, Dr. Shaw was responsible for vaccine development programs that led to many vaccines in wide use today, among them Varivax® (chickenpox), ProQuad® (measles-mumps-rubella-varicella), RotaTeq® (rotavirus/infant diarrhea), Zostavax® (shingles), and Gardasil® (cervical cancer).  He has more than 15 years of experience in the development, testing, manufacture and implementation of vaccines in the United States, Europe and internationally.  

Dr. Shaw received his PhD in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from the Medical College of Ohio, and was a post-doctoral fellow at the International Institute for Cellular Pathology in Brussels and the Rockefeller University in New York. 

“Vaccines have been the centerpiece of my scientific career for two decades,” Dr. Shaw said.  “I look forward to working with Thomas to continue advancing VaxInnate’s vaccines forward to market, where they have the potential to make a lasting contribution to public health.”

About VaxInnate

VaxInnate is a privately-held biotechnology company in Cranbury, NJ that is pioneering breakthrough technology for use in developing novel and proprietary vaccines.  VaxInnate’s technology has the potential to dramatically improve the potency, manufacturing capacity and cost-effectiveness of vaccines. 

VaxInnate’s first vaccines focus on infectious diseases, including seasonal and pandemic flu, malaria, dengue, human papillomavirus and respiratory syncytial virus.  In 2008 and 2009, VaxInnate generated positive Phase I clinical data for its first two vaccines, a universal flu vaccine and a seasonal flu vaccine.  For more information about VaxInnate, please visit http://www.vaxinnate.com.

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