Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Biotech / Medical : BJCT-BIOJECT-needle less injection product -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: GREG FINLEY who wrote (416)	12/17/1999 7:55:00 PM
From: geewiz	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 534

Hello Greg, all, Welcome back from the crazy YHOO board! By the way, I noticed this news last week; 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." Now I know this has no relation to the recent surge in volume, however, Vical is the one company taking the lead in naked DNA platforms, and here comes Douglas from Merck, a company that closely considered our platform last year, then passed on it after paying a 2 or 3 million royalty.... So I'm not sure it is a positive or negative.... wish I understood better why the Merck partnership fell apart. The only hint was a comment reported from the annual meeting that management themselves were suprised and considered it to be our willingness to grant exclucivity. What gives you the confidence to speculate on a deal by year end? Volume alone makes it look likely. later, art