SHELTON, CONNECTICUT -- Monday, June 10th, 2019 -- NanoViricides, Inc. (NYSE American: NNVC) (the "Company") a leader in developing novel nanomedicines to treat viral diseases, reports that Dr. Mark Day has been duly appointed as an Independent Director to its Board of Directors, effective June 6, 2019. He is also appointed as a member of the Board's Audit Committee, Nomination Committee, and Compensation Committee.
Dr. Day has over 16 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry with extensive experience in opportunity due diligence and in-licensing at big pharma as well as out-licensing from biotech. He continues to serve as Associate Professor, Translational Neuroscience (Adjunct) at Yale University.
NanoViricides has recently begun IND-enabling GLP Safety/Toxicology studies of its lead drug candidate NV-HHV-101, a broad-spectrum drug candidate in its HerpeCide™ program. The Company has received favorable response from the US FDA on the Company's pre-IND application for NV-HHV-101 with the first indication of shingles rash (VZV). The Company expects that drug candidates against HSV-1 and HSV-2 should follow soon after the VZV drug candidate moves into clinical trials. The Company believes that the expertise of our board directors in pharmaceutical industry opportunity due diligence and licensing from both big pharma and small pharma perspectives should prove of great value as it advances towards human clinical trials and human clinical proof of the nanoviricides® technology platform for antiviral drug development.
From April, 2017 to March 2019, Dr. Day served as the President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Bioasis Technologies, Inc. He led business development, internal and external R&D, translational medicine and academic sciences. He was successful in achieving five collaborations with Big and Mid-pharma at Bioasis. Prior thereto from August 2015 to April 2017, Mark served as the Executive Director, Head of External Research and Scouting, and from June 2014 to July 2015, as a Senior Director, both at Alexion Pharmaceuticals. From April 2012 to May 2014, Dr. Day was the Global Lead, Business Development, Head of Virology and CNS Disorders at Bristol Meyers-Squibb. From March 2009 to April 2012 he was Head, Translational Imaging and Biochemical Biomarkers, at Abbott Laboratories, Lake Bluff, IL. From 2003 to 2008 he was Discovery Head of CNS Translational Medicine at Wyeth Research.
Mark holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Cardiff University, UK. Thereafter he was Senior Research Fellow (PostDoc) in Systems Level Neuroscience in Episodic Memory and role of NMDA and AMPA receptors in memory consolidation at the Edinburgh University, UK.
The Company believes Dr. Day's long history as a pharmaceutical and biotech executive, particularly in research and development, in due diligence, and in commercialization, render him well qualified to serve as a member of the Board of Directors.
"We are very pleased to announce that Dr. Day is joining our Board. The Company has further improved its depth and breadth of pharmaceutical industry expertise at the Board level with his appointment," said Anil R. Diwan, PhD., Executive Chairman of the Board and President of the Company, adding, "We recently added Mr. James Sapirstein, a pharma industry veteran, to the Board. These additions have significantly bolstered NanoViricides' strength as a pharmaceutical company."
About NanoViricidesFDA refers to US Food and Drug Administration. EMA refers to the European Union’s office of European Medical Agency.