Inovio’s Co-Founder and Chair of its Scientific Board --Dr. David B. Weiner’s Lab Named “Best Academic Research Team”
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – April 9, 2015 – Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: INO) today announced that it was recognized with a prestigious industry award at the World Vaccine Congress being held this week in Washington, D.C. The Vaccine Industry Excellence (ViE) Awards honor outstanding vaccine advancements and achievements of therapeutic and preventive vaccine developers across the worldwide industry as judged by a panel of global biotech industry stakeholders.
Inovio was given accolades by its industry peers for “Best Therapeutic Vaccine” for its DNA-based immunotherapy, VGX-3100, which was designed to treat HPV-associated precancers and cancers. In a large, controlled phase II efficacy trial Inovio reported top line data demonstrating regression of disease and clearance of the underlying cause of the condition – the HPV virus. Inovio expects to publish the complete data set in a peer-reviewed journal this year, is advancing this product into a phase III trial early next year, and has expanded studies of this immunotherapy to include cervical and head and neck cancer.
Each year, the award recognizes the therapeutic vaccine that addresses an unmet medical need and holds significant potential for vast geographical and market reach. This is the third consecutive year that Inovio’s lead product has won this designation.
Also selected for recognition by the World Vaccine Congress as the “Best Academic Research Team” was the lab headed by Dr. David B. Weiner, Chair of Inovio’s Scientific Advisory Board and Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. This award, given annually to the research group that has produced products with a novel mode of action, seen them progress into human trials, and can demonstrate significant supportive research grants, was given to Dr. Weiner and his lab for making significant contributions to the field of DNA vaccines.
Dr. J. Joseph Kim, President and CEO, said, “There is a clear unmet need for a non-surgical option for women with cervical precancers around the world. We greatly appreciate the World Vaccine Congress’ recognition of Inovio’s VGX-3100 potential to address this opportunity.
I’m also pleased to see my mentor and collaborator, Dave Weiner, recognized for his body of work out of which the field of DNA vaccines emerged. His lab continues to introduce not only an array of new products but is also advancing important new technology innovations.
These two awards highlight the focused research and clinical development that are the foundation of Inovio’s intellectual property and commercial goals. With a core technology consisting of proprietary DNA-based plasmids and electroporation delivery, we now have multiple approaches to optimize the immune system’s inherent capabilities to fight cancers and infectious diseases.”
About the ViE Awards
The World Vaccine Congress & Expo, now in its 15th year, is the largest and most comprehensive event in the industry. Covering everything from the latest R&D to manufacturing to corporate development strategies, the Congress hosts the only awards ceremony dedicated to the vaccine industry. The ViE Awards honor individuals, organizations and initiatives which have made significant contributions over the past 12 months to innovation in the field of vaccines.
About Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Inovio is revolutionizing the fight against cancer and infectious diseases. Our immunotherapies uniquely activate best-in-class immune responses to prevent and treat disease, and have shown clinically significant efficacy with a favorable safety profile. With an expanding portfolio of immune therapies, the company is advancing a growing preclinical and clinical stage product pipeline. Partners and collaborators include Roche, MedImmune, University of Pennsylvania, DARPA, Drexel University, NIH, HIV Vaccines Trial Network, National Cancer Institute, U.S. Military HIV Research Program, and University of Manitoba. For more information, visit www.inovio.com.
CONTACTS:
Investors: Bernie Hertel, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, 858-410-3101, bhertel@inovio.com
Media: Jeff Richardson, Inovio Pharmaceuticals, 267-440-4211, jrichardson@inovio.com
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