ROCKVILLE, Md., Nov. 3, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq:NVAX) announced today the appointment of Erica Shane, Ph.D., to the position of Vice President, Process Development. In this role, Dr. Shane will have responsibility for all process development activities for Novavax. In addition she will provide oversight of process validation and technical support for manufacturing.
Prior to joining Novavax, Dr. Shane was Senior Director of BioProcess Engineering at MedImmune. In this position, she was responsible for technology transfer to clinical and commercial sites as well as scale-up of cell culture and purification processes. Dr. Shane joined the purification department in 1994 and spent 12 years developing clinical and commercial purification processes. Her contributions were critical to the successful launch of Synagis®, a monoclonal antibody medication to help protect high-risk babies from severe RSV disease. In 2005, she assumed leadership of clinical manufacturing rising to the position of Senior Director in 2008. During the course of her tenure, Dr. Shane contributed to over 20 pipeline product programs. Prior to joining MedImmune, she held positions at DNX Corporation and American Cyanamid.
"We are very pleased to have someone of Erica's caliber and capabilities join Novavax at this time when process development is so important to the success of our current influenza vaccine program and our emerging vaccine programs, including our RSV vaccine," said Timothy J. Hahn, SVP, Manufacturing and Process Development.
Dr. Shane received her doctorate degree from Carnegie Mellon University, and her bachelor's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, both in chemical engineering.
About Novavax
Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq:NVAX) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company creating novel vaccines to address a broad range of infectious diseases worldwide. Using innovative virus-like particle (VLP) and recombinant nanoparticle technology, as well as new and efficient manufacturing approaches, the company produces potent vaccine candidates to combat diseases, with the goal of allowing countries to better prepare for and more effectively respond to rapidly spreading infections. Novavax is committed to using its technology platforms to create geographic-specific vaccine solutions and is therefore involved in several international partnerships, including collaborations with Cadila Pharmaceuticals of India and LG Life Sciences of Korea. Together, these companies have worldwide commercialization capacity and the global reach to create real and lasting change in the biopharmaceutical field. Additional information about Novavax is available on the company's website: www.novavax.com.
Forward Looking Statements
Statements herein relating to the a development of Novavax vaccines and other future financial or business performance or matters are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. Novavax cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include those identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Novavax Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. You are encouraged to read our filings with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov, 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.