BERKELEY, Calif., April 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Dynavax Technologies Corporation announced that Robert L. Coffman, Ph.D., vice president and chief scientific officer, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). The election was held on April 25th during the business session of the 143rd annual meeting of the Academy. In the announcement of new members and associates, Ralph Cicerone, president of the Academy, said, “Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in American science and engineering.”
The National Academy of Sciences is an honorific society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. The Academy was established in 1863 by a congressional act of incorporation signed by Abraham Lincoln that calls on the Academy to act as an official adviser to the federal government, upon request, in any matter of science or technology.
“I am deeply honored to have been elected to the Academy and for the recognition of my work on T cell regulation of allergy and infectious diseases,” said Dr. Coffman. “Today it is particularly gratifying to work with my colleagues at Dynavax in translating these discoveries into disease modifying treatments that can potentially make a difference in the lives of patients.”
Dr. Coffman has been Dynavax’s Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer since December 2000. Dr. Coffman joined Dynavax from the DNAX Research Institute where he had been since 1981, most recently as Distinguished Research Fellow. Prior to that, he was a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University Medical School. Dr. Coffman has made fundamental discoveries about the regulation of immune responses in allergic and infectious diseases. He shared the William S. Coley Award for Research in Immunology with Dr. Tim Mosmann of the University of Rochester for discovery of the Th1 and Th2 subsets of T lymphocytes, the two major types T cells that control immune responses. Dr. Coffman received his Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego and his AB from Indiana University. In 2006, Dr. Coffman was elected to the National Academy of Science.
About Dynavax
Dynavax Technologies Corporation discovers, develops, and intends to commercialize innovative products to treat and prevent allergies, infectious diseases, and chronic inflammatory diseases using versatile, proprietary approaches that alter immune system responses in highly specific ways. Our clinical development programs are based on immunostimulatory sequences, or ISS, which are short DNA sequences that enhance the ability of the immune system to fight disease and control chronic inflammation. Dynavax’s pipeline includes: TOLAMBA(TM), a ragweed allergy immunotherapeutic, that has completed a large-scale Phase 2/3 clinical trial, and is in a supportive clinical trial in ragweed allergic children; HEPLISAV(TM), a hepatitis B vaccine that is currently in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial; SUPERVAX, a two-dose hepatitis B vaccine; an asthma immunotherapeutic that has shown preliminary safety and pharmacologic activity in a Phase 2a clinical trial; a cancer therapy currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial for non-Hodgkins lymphoma and in preclinical development in solid tumors; and preclinical programs in hepatitis B and hepatitis C therapy.
Dynavax cautions you that statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements, including without limitation all statements related to plans to advance its clinical programs in ragweed allergy, hepatitis B vaccines, cancer, hepatitis B and hepatitis C therapies, and the commercial opportunities for those programs. Words such as “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “expects,” “intend,” “will,” “slated,” “goal” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by Dynavax that any of its plans will be achieved. Actual results may differ materially from those set forth in this release due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in Dynavax’s business including, without limitation, risks relating to difficulties or delays in developing, testing, obtaining regulatory approval of, producing and marketing its products; the scope and validity of patent protection for its products; competition from other pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies; its ability to obtain additional financing to support its operations; and other risks detailed in the “Risk Factors” section of Dynavax’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 16, 2006. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and Dynavax undertakes no obligation to revise or update this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.
Dynavax Technologies Corporation
CONTACT: Jane M. Green, PhD, Vice President, Corporate Communications ofDynavax Technologies Corporation, +1-510-665-4630, or jgreen@dvax.com
Web site: http://www.dynavax.com/
