SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 2018--
Vaxart, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing oral
recombinant vaccines that are administered by tablet rather than by
injection, today announced the appointment of David Taylor, M.D., as
Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Taylor brings over 35 years of extensive
experience in medical research, drug and vaccine development and
clinical trial management for government organizations, non-profits,
academia and both private and public healthcare companies.
“Strengthening our leadership team with the appointment of David is an
important milestone for Vaxart as we continue to advance our oral
vaccine platform. Dr. Taylor is a drug discovery and development veteran
with deep industry knowledge developing recombinant and enteric
vaccines, with expertise in the design, execution and analysis of
norovirus and influenza vaccine clinical trials,” said Wouter Latour,
chief executive officer of Vaxart. “We are pleased to welcome David and
are confident his guidance will prove invaluable as we move our vaccine
programs further in the clinic.”
Prior to joining Vaxart, Dr. Taylor served as a senior medical officer
of the drug and vaccine development global programs at PATH, where he
developed clinical trial designs and executed studies for seasonal and
universal flu vaccines and enteric vaccines. Earlier, he was senior
medical director of vaccines at Takeda Vaccines, developing clinical
trial plans for norovirus and dengue vaccines. Previously, Dr. Taylor
served as chief medical officer at VaxInnate Corporation, where he
focused on the development of recombinant vaccines for influenza and
other infectious diseases, and chief medical officer and vice president
of medical and safety at Salix Pharmaceuticals, where he developed
Rifaximin (Xifaxan) for the treatment of traveller’s diarrhea and headed
medical affairs and pharmacovigilance.
Before Salix, he was a research professor for the Department of
International Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Dr. Taylor began his career as an epidemic intelligence service officer
in the Enteric Disease Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and served 22 years in various capacities at research
institutes in the United States Army including founder and chief of the
Department of Clinical Trials and acting director for the Division of
Communicable Diseases and Immunology at the Walter Reed Army Institute
of Research.
Dr. Taylor earned his MSc. in Medical Parasitology from the London
School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, M.D. from Harvard Medical
School, D.M.S. from Dartmouth Medical School and B.S. in Biology from
Kenyon College.
About Vaxart
Vaxart is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing
oral recombinant protein vaccines based on its proprietary oral vaccine
platform. Vaxart’s vaccines are designed to generate broad and durable
immune responses that protect against a wide range of infectious
diseases and may be useful for the treatment of chronic viral infections
and cancer. Vaxart’s vaccines are administered using a convenient room
temperature-stable tablet, rather than by injection. Vaxart believes
that tablet vaccines are easier to distribute and administer than
injectable vaccines, and have the potential to significantly increase
vaccination rates. Vaxart’s development programs include oral tablet
vaccines that are designed to protect against norovirus, seasonal
influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as well as a
therapeutic vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV). Vaxart is also
developing several small-molecule antiviral drug candidates, including
teslexivir (BTA074), an antiviral treatment for condyloma caused by HPV
types 6 and 11. For more information, please visit www.vaxart.com.
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve
substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than
statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding
our strategy, prospects, plans and objectives, results from preclinical
and clinical trials, commercialization agreements and licenses, beliefs
and expectations of management are forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements may be accompanied by such words as
“believe,” “could,” “potential”, “will” and other words and terms of
similar meaning. Examples of such statements include, but are not
limited to, statements relating to the Vaxart’s ability to develop and
commercialize its product candidates, clinical results and trial data,
Vaxart’s ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of its
product candidates and Vaxart’s reliance on third party funding and
grants. Vaxart may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the
intentions or meet the expectations or projections disclosed in our
forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on
these forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ
materially from the plans, intentions, expectations and projections
disclosed in the forward-looking statements. Various important factors
could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the
forward-looking statements that Vaxart makes, that Vaxart’s product
candidates may not be approved by the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory
authorities; that, even if approved by the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory
authorities, Vaxart’s product candidates may not achieve broad market
acceptance; and the risks described in the “Risk Factors” sections of
the Registration Statement on Form S-4 (file no. 333-222009) and of
Vaxart’s periodic reports filed with the SEC. Vaxart does not assume any
obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required
by law.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180501005331/en/
Source: Vaxart, Inc.
Stern Investor Relations
Carl Mauch, 212-362-1200
vaxart@sternir.com