- Ruxandra Draghia-Akli, MD,
PhD brings more than 20 years of extensive clinical, corporate and
global public health expertise to support Novavax's transition to
an R&D-focused organization
- Dr. Draghia-Akli will be integral in strategically
evaluating the Company's pipeline and opportunities for its
Matrix-M™ adjuvant and protein-based technology platform
GAITHERSBURG, Md., Sept. 25,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq:
NVAX), a global company advancing protein-based vaccines with its
Matrix-M™ adjuvant, today announced that Ruxandra Draghia-Akli, MD, PhD, will join the
Company in November 2024 as Executive
Vice President and Head of Research & Development
(R&D).
Dr. Draghia-Akli brings more than 20 years of experience in
vaccines and public health to Novavax. Her blend of expertise
includes clinical, corporate and policy work and is inclusive of
deep relationships both inside and outside the industry. Dr.
Draghia-Akli's ability to identify real public health needs and
find the intersection with Novavax's unique technology will be
critical as the Company transitions to an R&D focus with a new,
expanded pipeline that is focused on building partnerships with
industry and public health organizations.
"Ruxandra brings an incredible breadth of expertise to our
Executive Leadership team and with her at the helm of our
scientific team, Novavax is well-positioned to develop and execute
against a new, expanded R&D strategy," said John C. Jacobs, President and Chief Executive
Officer, Novavax. "Ruxandra is the right R&D leader for Novavax
at this critical time, and we are confident that she can
strategically evaluate both our portfolio and the potential of our
scientific technology in partnership with our already strong
scientific and clinical development teams."
Dr. Draghia-Akli has experience in both established
pharmaceutical and smaller biotechnology companies. She most
recently served as Global Head of Global Public Health R&D at
Johnson & Johnson where she spearheaded initiatives to
accelerate drug discovery and development across several disease
areas, including Dengue, tuberculosis, leprosy and coronaviruses.
Previously, Dr. Draghia-Akli also served as Vice President, Global
Vaccines at Merck where she contributed to advancing innovative
vaccines against Ebola, pneumococcal disease and human papilloma
virus. She also worked with the European Commission supporting
programmatic, legislative, regulatory and policy issues in research
and innovation. She also held roles of increasing responsibility
and was responsible for securing start-up funding and grants at
Advisys, Inc. (now a part of Inovio Pharmaceuticals). Dr.
Draghia-Akli focused on research early in her career at
Baylor College of Medicine, University
Rene Descartes (Paris) and
University Carol Davilla (Romania).
"I'm excited to join Novavax at such a pivotal time to lead
R&D efforts as we set the Company up to successfully build upon
and deliver an exciting clinical pipeline," said Dr. Draghia-Akli.
"There is tremendous potential in Novavax's scientific platform and
Matrix-M™ technology, and I'm looking forward to working with the
team to expand beyond COVID-19 and push the boundaries of what the
Company's technology can do to improve public health."
Dr. Draghia-Akli has served on numerous boards and committees
over her career to help shape thinking on vaccine and public health
issues. Currently, she is part of the 100 Days Mission, Science and
Technology Expert Group of the International Pandemic Preparedness
Secretariat; the Chair, Scientific Advisory Board of INTREPID
Alliance; and the Chair, Scientific Advisory Board of Every Cure.
Dr. Draghia-Akli received a BS in mathematics and physics from I.L.
Caragiale Lycée; an MD from University Carol Davilla; and a PhD in
human genetics from University Carol Davilla.
Dr. Draghia-Akli's predecessor, Filip
Dubovsky, MD MPH, retired from the Company in July 2024 and will continue in his Executive
Advisor role. Robert Walker, MD,
will continue to lead the Novavax Medical Organization as Chief
Medical Officer after serving as interim Head of R&D.
About Novavax
Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX) promotes
improved health by discovering, developing and commercializing
innovative vaccines to help protect against serious infectious
diseases. Novavax, a global company based in Gaithersburg, Md., U.S., offers a
differentiated vaccine platform that combines a recombinant protein
approach, innovative nanoparticle technology and Novavax's patented
Matrix-M adjuvant to enhance the immune response. The Company's
portfolio includes its COVID-19 vaccine and its pipeline includes
COVID-19-Influenza Combination and stand-alone influenza vaccine
candidates. In addition, Novavax's adjuvant is included in the
University of Oxford and Serum
Institute of India's R21/Matrix-M
malaria vaccine. Please visit novavax.com and LinkedIn for
more information.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements herein relating
to the future of Novavax, its operating plans and prospects, its
expectations regarding its clinical pipeline and research and
development efforts, are forward-looking statements. Novavax
cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to
numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without
limitation, antigenic drift or shift in the SARS-CoV-2 spike
protein, challenges satisfying, alone or together with partners,
various safety, efficacy and product characterization requirements,
including those related to process qualification and assay
validation, necessary to satisfy applicable regulatory authorities;
difficulty obtaining scarce raw materials and supplies; resource
constraints, including human capital and manufacturing capacity, on
the ability of Novavax to pursue planned regulatory pathways;
challenges or delays in obtaining regulatory authorization for a
JN.1 protein-based COVID-19 vaccine or for future COVID-19 variant
strain changes; challenges or delays in clinical trials;
manufacturing, distribution or export delays or challenges;
Novavax's exclusive dependence on Serum Institute of India Pvt.
Ltd. for co-formulation and filling and the impact of any delays or
disruptions in their operations on the delivery of customer orders;
and those other risk factors identified in the "Risk Factors" and
"Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations" sections of Novavax's Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31,
2023, and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). We caution
investors not to place considerable reliance on forward-looking
statements contained in this press release. You are encouraged to
read our filings with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov and
www.novavax.com, for a discussion of these and other risks and
uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this press release
speak only as of the date of this document, and we undertake no
obligation to update or revise any of the statements. Our business
is subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, including those
referenced above. Investors, potential investors, and others should
give careful consideration to these risks and uncertainties.
Contacts:
Investors
Alex Delacroix
240-268-2022
ir@novavax.com
Media
Giovanna Chandler
240-720-7804
media@novavax.com
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SOURCE Novavax, Inc.
