Cell Genesys President Elected to California Healthcare Institute Board
Tuesday April 22, 1:01 pm ET
LA JOLLA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 22, 2003--Joseph J. Vallner, Ph.D., president and chief operating officer, Cell Genesys, a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing novel biological therapies for patients with cancer, was elected to the board of directors of California Healthcare Institute (CHI) in April.
CHI is a non-profit public policy research organization representing leading California academic institutions, biotechnology, medical device, diagnostics and pharmaceutical firms.
"Cell Genesys with its diverse, oncology-focused product portfolio and extensive technology and patent estate, is a shining example of California's global leadership in biotechnology," said David Gollaher, Ph.D., president and CEO, CHI. "We are fortunate to have Joe's exceptional wealth of talent and practical experience on our board of directors."
Vallner joined Cell Genesys in October 1999. Prior to Cell Genesys, he was with SEQUUS Pharmaceuticals for seven years where he was instrumental in the launch of two products including Doxil®, a liposome-based cancer therapeutic. He also helped transition the company through its merger with ALZA Corp. Prior to SEQUUS, he held various positions with Syntex Corp. and G.D. Searle and Co., and was an associate professor of pharmaceutics at the University of Georgia prior to that. He received his Ph.D. in pharmaceutics, an M.S. in physical chemistry and a B.S. in pharmacy from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Cell Genesys is focused on the development and commercialization of novel biological therapies for patients with cancer. The company is pursuing three cancer product platforms -- GVAX® cancer vaccines, oncolytic virus therapies and cancer gene therapies. Cell Genesys has headquarters in South San Francisco and has manufacturing operations in San Diego, Hayward, Calif. and Memphis, Tenn. The company's Web site is www.cellgenesys.com.
CHI represents more than 200 leading biotechnology, medical device, diagnostics, and pharmaceutical companies, and public and private academic biomedical research organizations. CHI's mission is to advance responsible public policies that foster medical innovation and promote scientific discovery. CHI's Web site is www.chi.org.
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Contact:
California Healthcare Institute, La Jolla
Molly Ingraham, 858/551-6677
ingraham@chi.org
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Source: California Healthcare Institute |
