Daniel J. O’Connor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Advaxis, Appointed to Board of Trustees of BioNJ


PRINCETON, N.J., Feb. 08, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advaxis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADXS), a clinical stage biotechnology company developing cancer immunotherapies, today announced that Daniel J. O’Connor, President and Chief Executive Officer, has been elected to the Board of Trustees of BioNJ, the leading statewide network of research-based life sciences companies and stakeholders. Founded in 1994, BioNJ works on behalf of its 400 member companies to enhance the climate for biotechnology in the state.

“I am honored to join the board of BioNJ. Their work is a fundamental reason for the growth and success of the life sciences ecosystem in New Jersey,” said Daniel J. O’Connor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Advaxis. “I look forward to working with the BioNJ team and with my fellow board members to ensure that we have a business community and climate that continues to foster innovation and growth in New Jersey.”

The election took place at the annual meeting of BioNJ, which precedes its annual gala dinner. The Gateway Gala and Innovation Celebration is the leading life sciences event in New Jersey, attended by nearly 700 industry representatives. This year's event included a keynote speech from the Honorable Patrick Kennedy who discussed his work addressing mental health and addiction as well as the presentation of the ninth annual Dr. Sol J. Barer Award for Vision, Innovation and Leadership to Clive Meanwell, MD, PhD, founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Medicines Company.

“Dan will bring a wealth of experience and a broad perspective, having served in both early and late-stage companies,” said BioNJ President and CEO Debbie Hart. “That experience combined with his energy and commitment to the New Jersey ecosystem makes Dan a strong candidate for the BioNJ Board. I am thrilled at the opportunity to work with him in this new capacity.”

Mr. O’Connor has 20 years of executive, legal and regulatory experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, including senior leadership positions at ImClone Systems and PharmaNet, now known as Inventiv Health. At ImClone, Mr. O’Connor served as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary, and he supported the clinical development, launch and commercialization of ERBITUX® (cetuximab), and helped resolve corporate issues, including extensive licensing negotiations, in advance of its sale to Eli Lilly in 2008. At PharmaNet, Mr. O’Connor was part of the leadership team that expanded the company from a start-up clinical research organization to a world leader in clinical research. Previously, Mr. O’Connor was a criminal prosecutor in Somerset County, New Jersey and a Captain in the U.S. Marines.

Advaxis is known for its work developing immunotherapies. Axalimogene filolisbac (ADXS-HPV) is Advaxis' lead Lm Technology™ immunotherapy candidate for the treatment of HPV-associated cancers and is in clinical trials for three potential indications: invasive cervical cancer, anal cancer, and head and neck cancer. Axalimogene filolisbac has Orphan Drug Designation in the U.S. for the treatment of cervical, anal, and head and neck cancers.

About BioNJ

BioNJ, The Gateway to Health, is a powerful network of 400 members representing research-based life sciences companies and stakeholders, and is dedicated to propelling a vibrant ecosystem where science is supported, companies are created, drugs are developed and patients are paramount. BioNJ is committed to helping accelerate the discovery, development and commercialization of therapies and cures that save and improve lives and lessen the burden of illness and disease to society. As the industry's voice in New Jersey, BioNJ fulfills its mission to help companies help patients by driving capital formation and fostering entrepreneurship, advocating for public policies that advance medical innovation, providing access to talent and education and offering a cost-saving array of critical commercial resources. For more information about BioNJ, please visit www.BioNJ.org.

About Advaxis, Inc.

Located in Princeton, N.J., Advaxis, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing multiple cancer immunotherapies based on its proprietary Lm Technology™. The Lm Technology™, using bioengineered live attenuated Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) bacteria, is the only known cancer immunotherapy agent shown in preclinical studies to both generate cancer fighting T-cells directed against a cancer antigen and neutralize Tregs and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) that protect the tumor microenvironment from immunologic attack and contribute to tumor growth. Advaxis' lead Lm Technology™ immunotherapy, axalimogene filolisbac, targets human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers and is in clinical trials for three potential indications: Phase 2 in invasive cervical cancer, Phase 1/2 in head and neck cancer, and Phase 1/2 in anal cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted axalimogene filolisbac orphan drug designation for each of these three clinical settings. Advaxis has two additional immunotherapy products: ADXS-PSA in prostate cancer and ADXS-HER2 in HER2 expressing solid tumors, in human clinical development.

For additional information on Advaxis, visit www.advaxis.com and connect on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and Google+.

Forward-Looking Statements

This media statement contains forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: statements regarding Advaxis’ ability to develop the next generation of cancer immunotherapies; and the safety and efficacy of Advaxis’ proprietary immunotherapies. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, including the risk factors set forth from time to time in Advaxis’ SEC filings, including but not limited to its report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2015, which is available at http://www.sec.gov. Advaxis undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revision to these forward-looking statements, which may be made to reflect the events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.


            

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