- James Young, PhD retires as
Chair of the Board, Margaret
McGlynn, RPh, appointed
- John Shiver, PhD appointed to
board of directors
GAITHERSBURG, Md., March 11,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX)
today announced that James Young,
PhD, is retiring as Chair of the Board and Margaret McGlynn, RPh, has been appointed as his
successor. The Company also appointed John
Shiver, PhD, to its board as an independent director.

Dr. Young made the decision to resign from the board effective
March 10, 2025. He has served on
Novavax's board since 2010 and as Chair since 2011. During his
tenure, the Company acquired Isconova and the Matrix-M™ adjuvant,
now a key component of its technology platform. Novavax also earned
global approvals for and commercialized its first vaccine ever for
COVID-19, ramping up quickly to meet the demands of the global
pandemic. Dr. Young helped to guide the Company through the
partnership with Sanofi in 2024 and the subsequent transformative
focus on a new corporate growth strategy to maximize the impact of
Novavax's cutting-edge technology by focusing on strategic
partnerships for its research and development (R&D)
assets and its Matrix-M™ adjuvant.
"We'll forever be grateful for Jim's leadership during such
critical moments for Novavax over the past 15 years," said
John C. Jacobs, President and Chief Executive Officer,
Novavax. "With the solid foundation he helped build, we look
forward to advancing our corporate growth strategy with Margie at
the helm of the board, and now with John's guidance as well. Both
Margie and John bring a wealth of experience and under the
collective leadership of all of our board members, we are
well-positioned to deliver for our shareholders."
Ms. McGlynn has served on Novavax's board of directors since
2020. She previously served as President, Merck Vaccines and
Infectious Disease, and after 26 years at Merck, served as CEO of
the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative. She also serves on the
board of directors of Amicus Therapeutics and University at Buffalo
Foundation.
"Thanks to Jim's leadership, Novavax is primed to deliver
against an exciting new pipeline through strategic collaborations,"
said Ms. McGlynn. "I look forward to working with this immensely
talented board and executive leadership team to support Novavax as
it moves into a position of strength over the coming years."
Dr. Shiver has more than 30 years of vaccine, biologics and RNA
therapeutics experience in pharmaceutical research and development.
He has led teams of scientists to develop novel vaccine and
monoclonal antibody candidates to prevent or treat more than 40
infectious and non-infectious diseases. Dr. Shiver has also created
a machine learning/artificial intelligence group to help design new
vaccine candidates. He has served on multiple scientific advisory
boards and committees including the International AIDS Vaccine
Initiative Board of Directors and the Board of Directors for
Icosavax, Auravax and Calder Biosciences. Dr. Shiver is a Special
Advisor to F Prime Capital and serves as Head of R&D and an
Observer of the board of directors at Vibrant Biomedicines. His
past experience includes roles at IGM ID, Sanofi Pasteur, Merck and
the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Shiver holds a Bachelor of
Science degree in Chemistry and Mathematics from Wofford College and a Doctor of Philosophy in
Physical Chemistry from the University of
Florida.
About Novavax
Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX) tackles
some of the world's most significant health challenges by
leveraging its scientific expertise in vaccines and its
cutting-edge technology platform, including a protein-based
nanoparticle and Matrix-M™ adjuvant. The Company's growth strategy
is focused on building new and diversified partnerships via the
out-licensing of its technology platform and vaccine assets earlier
in the development process. These strategic collaborations are
fueled by smart investments in a growing early-stage pipeline
starting with the Company's core expertise in infectious disease
and potentially expanding into other disease areas. Please
visit novavax.com and LinkedIn for
more information.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements herein other
than statements of historical fact, including statements relating
to the Company's corporate growth strategy, the composition of its
Board of Directors, and expectations regarding its clinical
pipeline through strategic collaborations, are forward-looking
statements. Novavax cautions that these forward-looking statements
are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied
by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without
limitation, challenges or delays in obtaining regulatory
authorization or approval for its COVID-19 vaccine, in particular
with respect to its Biologics License Application (BLA) submission
to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of its
COVID-19 vaccine, or its other product candidates, including for
future COVID-19 variant strain changes, its
COVID-19-Influenza-Combination (CIC) vaccine candidate, its
stand-alone influenza vaccine candidate or other product
candidates; Novavax's ability to successfully and timely
manufacture, market, distribute, or deliver its updated 2024-2025
formula COVID-19 vaccine and the impact of its not having received
a BLA from the FDA for the 2024-2025 vaccination season; challenges
related to Novavax's partnership with Sanofi and in pursuing
additional partnership opportunities; challenges satisfying, alone
or together with partners, various safety, efficacy, and product
characterization requirements, including those related to process
qualification, assay validation and stability testing, necessary to
satisfy applicable regulatory authorities; challenges or delays in
conducting clinical trials or studies for its product candidates;
manufacturing, distribution or export delays or challenges;
Novavax's substantial dependence on Serum Institute of India and Serum Life Sciences Limited for
co-formulation and filling Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine and the
impact of any delays or disruptions in their operations; difficulty
obtaining scarce raw materials and supplies including for its
proprietary adjuvant; resource constraints, including human capital
and manufacturing capacity; constraints on Novavax's ability to
pursue planned regulatory pathways, alone or with partners;
challenges in implementing its global restructuring and cost
reduction plan; Novavax's ability to timely deliver doses;
challenges in obtaining commercial adoption and market acceptance
of its updated 2024-2025 formula COVID-19 vaccine or any COVID-19
variant strain containing formulation, or for its CIC vaccine
candidate and stand-alone influenza vaccine candidate or other
product candidates; challenges meeting contractual requirements
under agreements with multiple commercial, governmental, and other
entities, including requirements to deliver doses that may require
Novavax to refund portions of upfront and other payments previously
received or result in reduced future payments pursuant to such
agreements and challenges in amending or terminating such
agreements; challenges related to the seasonality of vaccinations
against COVID-19 or influenza; challenges related to the demand for
vaccinations against COVID-19 or influenza; challenges in
identifying and successfully pursuing innovation expansion
opportunities, including with respect to Novavax's Matrix-M
adjuvant; Novavax's expectations as to expenses and cash needs may
prove not to be correct for reasons such as changes in plans or
actual events being different than its assumptions;; and those
other risk factors identified in the "Risk Factors" and
"Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations" sections of Novavax's Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31,
2024, and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). We caution
investors not to place considerable reliance on forward-looking
statements contained in this press release. You are encouraged to
read our filings with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov
and www.novavax.com, for a discussion of these and other risks
and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this press
release speak only as of the date of this document, and we
undertake no obligation to update or revise any of the statements.
Our business is subject to substantial risks and uncertainties,
including those referenced above. Investors, potential investors,
and others should give careful consideration to these risks and
uncertainties.
Contacts:
Investors
Luis Sanay, CFA
240-268-2022
ir@novavax.com
Media
Giovanna Chandler
202-709-5563
media@novavax.com
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SOURCE Novavax, Inc.