CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Affinivax, Inc. (“Affinivax”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of a novel class of vaccines with its MAPS™ (Multiple Antigen Presenting System) technology platform, today announced the appointment of Dr. Rick Malley as Chief Scientific Officer. He will also remain in his current position as the Kenneth McIntosh Chair in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Malley is a highly regarded clinician and researcher with a long history of leadership in the field of infectious disease and pediatric medicine, most notably in his studies on the pathogenesis and prevention of bacterial and viral infections and his work developing novel vaccines against pneumococcus.
“We are thrilled to have Rick join our leadership team in a greater capacity. I have had the privilege to work alongside Rick, the scientific founder of Affinivax and a trusted advisor, for over 8 years and there is no one more qualified to lead our efforts to advance our MAPS technology platform and pipeline of MAPS vaccine candidates,” stated Steven Brugger, Chief Executive Officer of Affinivax. “We look forward to continuing to draw upon Rick’s unparalleled expertise in developing novel vaccines and applying them to real world infectious disease challenges, and his continued scientific leadership will help us realize our mission to bring innovative vaccines to children and adults.”
“In my career as a clinician and researcher, I have witnessed first-hand the enormous impact of bringing new vaccines to patients to prevent infectious diseases. I am delighted to serve in this enhanced role in Affinivax’s day-to-day operations, building upon our clinically validated MAPS™ technology platform, and driving advancements throughout our vaccine pipeline,” stated Dr. Rick Malley. “I look forward to continuing my career’s work of discovering life-saving vaccines using novel technologies, working alongside of the talented Affinivax team to develop a portfolio of differentiated vaccine candidates for children and adults worldwide.”
Affinivax’s scientific founder and a member of its board of directors, Dr. Rick Malley, has over 30 years of experience treating infectious diseases as an experienced physician and researcher. He is also a Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and currently serves as the Director of the Travel and Geographic Medicine Clinic at Boston Children’s. Dr. Malley runs an NIH-funded laboratory focused on various aspects of bacterial pathogenesis, natural- and vaccine-induced immunity, as well as the development of novel vaccine technologies, including Affinivax’s foundational MAPS™ technology platform which he developed with his colleagues Drs. Yingjie Lu and Fan Zhang also at Boston Children’s. His team at Boston Children’s actively collaborates with global nonprofit health organizations on international efforts to bring develop and manufacture vaccines for use in developing countries. Since early in his career, Dr. Malley’s research has focused on the development of novel vaccines against pneumococcus, leading to numerous scientific publications describing various aspects of pneumococcal pathogenesis and prevention, such as acquired and innate immunity, correlates of protection, and mechanisms of protection from disease and colonization. Other research interests include the development of vaccines against common human pathogens such as Salmonella and Shigella, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Group B streptococcus. He holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.D. from Tufts University School of Medicine.
Disclosures:
Dr. Malley is a Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and is the Kenneth McIntosh Chair in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Boston Children’s (part-time appointments), and serves as the Director of the Travel and Geographic Medicine Clinic at Boston Children’s.
Dr. Malley is co-founder and equity holder of Affinivax, Inc. and is on the Board of Directors and is the Chief Scientific Officer for the company. Dr. Malley receives compensation for the Chief Scientific Officer role. Drs. Lu and Zhang are scientific co-founders, consultants, and equity holders of Affinivax, Inc. Drs. Lu and Zhang receive compensation for their consultant roles. Boston Children’s Hospital is also an equity holder in Affinivax, Inc.
About Affinivax, Inc.
Affinivax is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of a novel class of vaccines designed to induce a broad and robust protective immune response to both disease-relevant polysaccharides and disease-relevant proteins in a single vaccine. Affinivax designs each of its vaccine candidates to optimize the protective immune response to one or both of these antigens utilizing the distinctive plug-and-play nature of its proprietary MAPS™ technology platform, presenting the potential opportunity to make a significant step forward in addressing major healthcare challenges posed by novel and resistant infectious diseases. Affinivax was founded in 2014 with a seed investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and an exclusive license to the MAPS technology from Boston Children’s Hospital. For more information, visit www.affinivax.com.
