Alan Shaw, PhD is President and CEO of VaxInnate Corporation, a privately-held biotechnology company that is pioneering breakthrough technology for use in developing novel vaccines for seasonal and pandemic influenza, including H5 avian flu. He has extensive experience in national and international vaccine research and development, as well as vaccine policy matters. Dr. Shaw's expertise is in the areas of virology, molecular biology, immunology, and protein chemistry. Prior to joining VaxInnate in 2005, Dr. Shaw worked for Merck & Co., Inc., where he was responsible for developing vaccines that are now in wide use, including Gardasil, the world's first vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. Others include Zostavax (shingles); RotaTeq (rotavirus/infant diarrhea); Varivax (chickenpox); and ProQuad (measles-mumps-rubella-varicella). Following his service in vaccine development, Dr. Shaw was the lead scientist in the Public Policy, Public Health and Medical Affairs group of Merck's vaccine division. Before joining Merck, Dr. Shaw was a senior program executive at Biogen S.A in Geneva, Switzerland, where he led projects on hepatitis B and malaria vaccines, cytokines and their inhibitors, and cell trafficking. He also served as chairman of the Biologicals Committee of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association (IFPMA). Dr. Shaw received a PhD in molecular biology and biochemistry from the Medical College of Ohio, a master's degree in molecular biology from the University of Texas, and a bachelor's degree in biology from Rice University. He was a post-doctoral fellow at both the International Institute for Cellular Pathology in Brussels and the Rockefeller University in New York. As President/CEO of VaxInnate, Dr. Shaw leads a scientific team that is developing novel technology for the production of flu vaccines based upon a proprietary combination of toll-like receptor-mediated immune enhancement and recombinant bacterial production of vaccine antigen. Now in clinical development, this technology has the potential to dramatically improve the potency, manufacturing capacity and cost-effectiveness of flu vaccines -- making it possible to produce highly-effective, low-cost flu vaccine sufficient to meet national needs in a matter of weeks, compared to the months it currently takes.

Contact Information: Dr. Alan ShawMobile: 215-208-9036alan.shawvaxinnate

theexpertsource/