Vaxxas Appoints Rochelle Chaiken, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer

Industry veteran and senior medical leader from Pfizer brings deep global expertise as Vaxxas advances multiple clinical programs and moves toward commercialization.

Vaxxas, a clinical-stage biotechnology company commercializing a novel vaccination platform technology, today announced the appointment of Rochelle Chaiken, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Chaiken joins Vaxxas following a 23-year career at Pfizer, bringing extensive experience designing and executing late-stage clinical trials and successfully launching new products in markets.

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Vaxxas CMO Rochelle Chaiken MD (Photo: Business Wire)

Reporting to Vaxxas Chief Executive Officer David Hoey, Dr. Chaiken will be a valuable addition to the Vaxxas leadership team as the company advances its proprietary high-density microarray patch (HD-MAP) technology platform through late-stage clinical studies towards commercialization.

Dr. Chaiken held a number of senior executive roles at Pfizer including, for the past five years, Chief Medical Officer for the company’s Biopharmaceutical Group for Emerging Markets. In this role, she built a high-performing medical affairs organization with leadership across multiple product categories, including Pfizer’s vaccine assets.

“We are delighted to welcome Rochelle to the Vaxxas team as Chief Medical Officer at this pivotal time for the business, as we advance our vaccine patch technology through multiple development programs with multiple respective vaccines and partners,” said David Hoey, Vaxxas CEO. “Dr. Chaiken has an extensive track record as a global senior leader in the biopharmaceutical industry with significant experience managing late-stage clinical trials and successfully launching new products in markets. Her expertise and experience make Rochelle an ideal fit.”

Vaxxas’ vaccine technology platform has the potential to improve vaccination by creating vaccine patches that are easy to use, potentially enabling self-administration, and can be stable at room temperature, reducing the complexities and costs associated with refrigerated storage and distribution.

“I am very pleased to be joining the Vaxxas team as the company continues to build momentum towards commercialization of its vaccine patch technology,” said Dr. Chaiken. “The last several years have shown us that better and more accessible vaccine options are mission critical for global human health. With plans to advance many more innovative programs based on the Vaxxas platform technology, beyond those currently in clinic, I’m looking forward to applying my experience to support these efforts to change the vaccine paradigm.”

Dr. Chaiken received a BA in Chemistry from the University of Rochester and MD from SUNY-Downstate. She is a Fellow of Endocrinology/Diabetes & Metabolism at Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, and has been a Clinical Investigator leading Phase II and III trials in Type 2 diabetes and its complications in minority populations.

About Vaxxas

Vaxxas is a privately held biotechnology company focused on enhancing the performance of existing and next-generation vaccines with its proprietary high-density microarray patch (HD-MAP). Vaxxas is targeting initial applications in infectious disease and oncology.

Vaxxas’ core technology was initially developed at The University of Queensland (UQ), and the company was established as a start-up in 2011 by UQ’s commercialisation company UniQuest. The company was founded with the completion of an initial equity financing led by OneVentures Innovation Fund I with co-investors Brandon Capital Partners, Brandon BioCatalyst, and US-based HealthCare Ventures, followed by further financing rounds led by OneVentures, with University of Queensland joining the most recent financing. OneVentures Innovation Fund I and Brandon BioCatalyst are supported by the Australian Government’s Innovation Investment Fund (IIF) program. The IIF is an Australian Government venture capital initiative that provides investment capital and managerial expertise through licensed venture capital fund managers to investee companies. Learn more at www.one-ventures.com and www.brandoncapital.vc.

Caution

Vaxxas’ HD-MAP delivered vaccines are under investigation and available only for investigational uses. They are not available anywhere in the world for sale or purchase. As such, Vaxxas makes no claim that the vaccines are reliable, durable, dependable, safe or effective, and makes no claim that it is superior to any other vaccine or vaccine delivery technology.

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