Vical Names R. Gordon Douglas Chairman
SAN DIEGO--(BW HealthWire)--Dec. 9, 1999--Vical Inc. (Nasdaq:VICL) announced today the appointment of R. Gordon Douglas, Jr., M.D., to the newly created position of chairman of the company's board of directors.
Dr. Douglas, age 65, joined the Vical Board in May, following his retirement on April 30 from Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK), where he had been president of Merck Vaccines since 1991, and a member of the Merck Management Committee.
Alain B. Schreiber, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Vical, said, "We were pleased when Dr. Douglas accepted our invitation to join our board of directors, and we are delighted that he has accepted the expanded role as chairman. The knowledge and perspective he gained during his career at Merck, the world's leading pharmaceutical company, should provide an ideal basis for the leadership of Vical's board of directors. As we advance toward the potential commercialization of Allovectin-7 and Leuvectin, our most advanced cancer product candidates, and our naked DNA vaccines, we will rely on Dr. Douglas and the rest of our Board members to guide our strategic decisions."
Prior to joining Merck in 1989, Dr. Douglas had a distinguished career as a physician and academician, specializing in infectious diseases. From 1982 to 1990, he was professor of medicine and chairman, Department of Medicine, Cornell University Medical College and physician-in-chief, The New York Hospital. He also served as head of the Infectious Disease Unit at the University of Rochester School of Medicine.
Dr. Douglas is a graduate of Princeton University and Cornell University Medical College. He received his medical staff training at The New York Hospital and Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine, the Association of American Physicians, the Infectious Diseases Society of America and numerous other organizations.
Vical Inc., The Naked DNA Company(TM), is focused on the development of pharmaceutical product candidates based on its patented gene delivery technology. A number of therapeutic and vaccine product candidates are currently under development for the prevention or treatment of cancer, infectious diseases and metabolic disorders by Vical and its collaborative partners, including Merck & Co., Pfizer Inc., Pasteur Merieux Connaught, Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, Centocor Inc., Merial, Human Genome Sciences and Boston Scientific Corp.
Allovectin-7, which uses a lipid-DNA complex to help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells, is in Phase II and Phase III testing in certain patients with metastatic melanoma and in Phase II testing in patients with unresectable head and neck cancer. Leuvectin, which uses a lipid-DNA complex to stimulate an immune response against cancer cells, is in Phase II testing in patients with kidney cancer and prostate cancer. Vaxid, a naked DNA vaccine to prevent relapse of B-cell lymphoma, is in Phase I/II testing. In collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, a naked DNA vaccine to treat metastatic melanoma is in Phase I/II testing.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements, including whether any product candidates will be shown to be safe and efficacious in clinical trials, the timing of clinical trials, whether Vical will seek or gain approval to market any product candidates, and additional risks set forth in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from those projected. These forward-looking statements represent the company's judgment as of the date of this release. The company disclaims, however, any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
For news releases and other information about the company, visit the Vical Web site at www.vical.com.
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CONTACT:
Vical Inc.
Alan R. Engbring or Martha J. Demski, 858/646-1127 |
