MCLEAN, Va. and BUDAPEST, Hungary, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Genetic Immunity(R), a US/Hungarian clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of its patented immunotherapeutic platform technology, announced that it has appointed Richard B. Pollard, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer.
Dr. Pollard has been a leader in HIV/AIDS research for more than twenty years; he cared for his first patient with AIDS in 1982, and continues to provide primary care for hundreds of patients with HIV and related conditions. Dr. Pollard has been involved in the development of new treatments for the HIV, herpes, and hepatitis viruses. His laboratory, one of the five immunology specialty laboratories supported by the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG), performs multiple assays to monitor immunologic changes to HIV and opportunistic viral pathogens.
In addition, Dr. Pollard is Professor of Internal Medicine and Microbiology and Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of California, Davis Medical School in Sacramento, CA. He currently serves as the Principal Investigator of the Immunology Specialty Laboratory, Chair of the ACTG Laboratory Evaluation Subcommittee, and Principal Investigator of the California Research Center for the Biology of HIV in Minorities.
Dr. Pollard said, “I’m excited to join Genetic Immunity’s scientifically strong team; I believe that this team has the depth to develop scalable in vivo immunotherapies from the research stage though clinical development in a number of indications. As someone who has spent a quarter century active in AIDS care, I’m excited to work on the DermaVir Patch product as it is one of the most innovative approaches to HIV treatment. As a researcher, I’m impressed that an exceptional clinical observation inspired a new immune therapy technology.”
Julianna Lisziewicz, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO of Genetic Immunity, said, “We are delighted that Dr. Pollard has decided to join the Genetic Immunity team following on 10 years of collaboration. Dr. Pollard was a pioneer in the field of AIDS research and today is one of the key opinion-leaders in HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases. His position on our management team demonstrates his belief in the potential of our technology. His presence in Hungary brings the highest level of clinical immunology expertise to the country’s emerging biopharmaceutical industry. Dr. Pollard’s experience in clinical development makes him an ideal fit for our company and adds strength to what is already a robust team.”
About Genetic Immunity(R)
Genetic Immunity is a US/Hungarian development stage company establishing leadership in next-generation biopharmaceuticals. The Company is leveraging its proprietary platform technology to create new markets for infectious diseases, cancer and allergy through the discovery, development and commercialization of topically administered immune therapies. These indications represent significant unmet medical need and potential for alternative treatment approaches. Genetic Immunity’s lead product, the DermaVir Patch for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, was discovered by the Company’s founders, and is in Phase II clinical development with the opportunity to be the first immune therapy approved for HIV-infected individuals.
About DermaVir Patch
The proprietary DermaVir Patch is a topically administered HIV immune therapy, which emerged from the clinical observations of Genetic Immunity’s founders. Their examination of the “Berlin Patient” proved that induction of immune control of HIV replication is feasible in an infected patient. The Company has developed the DermaVir Patch to induce the immune system to kill HIV infected cells specifically and to make immune therapy accessible for the majority of HIV infected individuals, including children. The DermaVir Patch, currently in Phase II clinical trials, is comprised of two patented components: NanoComp and DermaPrep. NanoComp is an antigen composition platform that combines a disease-specific plasmid DNA with the Company’s formulation technology. The unique DNA for the DermaVir Patch product encodes the majority of HIV antigens, allowing a broad immune response. DermaPrep is a topical administration device by which NanoComp is delivered specifically into the dendritic cells.
sephraim@theruthgroup.comjmccargo@theruthgroup.com
CONTACT: Investors, Sara Ephraim, +1-646-536-7002,
sephraim@theruthgroup.com, or Media, Janine McCargo, +1-646-536-7033,
jmccargo@theruthgroup.com, both of The Ruth Group
Web site: http://www.geneticimmunity.com/
