AuraVax Therapeutics Appoints Industry Veteran Joseph Sullivan as its Inaugural CEO

Sullivan joins AuraVax as it prepares to file its first investigational new drug application for NanoSTING in the field of respiratory disease

HOUSTON, March 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AuraVax Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company developing novel immunotherapies to prevent and treat respiratory viruses, today announced the appointment of Joseph C. Sullivan as Chief Executive Officer. Most recently, Joe was Chief Commercial Officer at Nature's Toolbox. He has over 30 years' experience commercializing vaccines and biologics, including leading new vaccine products at Merck & Co, Inc.

"We are thrilled that Joe is leading the Company," said Dr. Laurence Cooper, AuraVax co-founder. "He brings three decades of highly relevant experience in small and large biotechnology companies. He has successfully launched drugs, licensed technologies, and built pharmaceutical collaborations. While at Nature's Toolbox, Inc., Joe formed research collaborations with multinational and regional vaccine companies. At Merck, he managed the introduction of the vaccine Gardasil® in the U.S and led the growth of Singulair® into a multi-billion-dollar business in asthma and allergic rhinitis. Under his leadership, AuraVax will be undertaking its first clinical studies to evaluate NanoSTING, its lead therapeutic candidate. The preclinical in vivo animal data shows our technology can enhance the immune system to address infections by many different respiratory viruses without evidence of adverse events."

"I am honored and excited to join the team at AuraVax and lead our efforts to develop this novel therapeutic," said Joe Sullivan. "The morbidity and mortality of respiratory pathogens continues to increase world-wide and medical professionals need new options for patients. NanoSTING offers the potential to protect by activating the immune system at the first signs of disease -- and is future-proof as the underlying technology appears to not be vulnerable to mutations of pathogens that can undermine the efficacy of targeted therapeutics."

About AuraVax

AuraVax Therapeutics Inc. ("AuraVax") is a privately held biotechnology company developing a novel platform to leverage the STING pathway of the immune system. Its lead candidate, NanoSTING, is an intranasal investigational therapy for respiratory viruses to deliver a proprietary immunomodulator at the site of early infection that stimulates a beneficial immune response to control disease and transmission. The Company's goal is to commercialize the platform to combine the ease of use of self-administration with the ability to deliver broad treatment of and prevention against respiratory viruses.

For more information about AuraVax and its proprietary platform, please visit: https://www.auravax.com

For additional information about AuraVax, contact
Matthew J. Meyer
[email protected] 
+1 415-947-2097

SOURCE AuraVax Therapeutics