INOVIO Announces Appointment of Steven Egge as Chief Commercial Officer

Rhea-AI Summary

INOVIO announced the appointment of Steven Egge as Chief Commercial Officer, effective immediately. Bringing over 25 years of biopharmaceutical experience, Egge will spearhead INOVIO's commercial strategy as it moves towards becoming a commercial-stage company. The company plans to submit a Biologics License Application (BLA) for INO-3107 for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) in the latter half of 2024 under the FDA's Accelerated Approval Pathway. This strategic hire aims to leverage Egge's extensive background in launching novel therapeutic products and building commercial organizations. His prior roles include key positions at Sumitomo Pharma and Merck, where he successfully led various product launches and market expansions.

Positive

• Steven Egge's appointment as Chief Commercial Officer adds over 25 years of biopharmaceutical experience to INOVIO.
• INOVIO's planned Biologics License Application submission for INO-3107 in the second half of 2024 aims to secure FDA approval under the Accelerated Approval Pathway.
• Egge's experience in launching new products and expanding market share is likely to enhance INOVIO's commercial strategy.

Negative

• Potential risks associated with the approval process for INO-3107 could impact INOVIO's market outlook.

Mr. Egge brings over 25 years of biopharmaceutical experience building commercial organizations and successfully launching novel therapeutic products

INOVIO poised to become a commercial-stage company with plans to submit a Biologics License Application for INO-3107 in second half of 2024 under U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Accelerated Approval Pathway

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., July 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- INOVIO (NASDAQ:INO), a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing DNA medicines to help treat and protect people from HPV-related diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases, today announced the appointment of Steven Egge as Chief Commercial Officer. Mr. Egge will lead the company's commercial strategy and operations as it prepares to potentially launch its first DNA medicine product, INO-3107 as a treatment for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP).

"We are delighted to welcome Steve to INOVIO and look forward to adding his expertise to our leadership team as we continue advancing our preparations to commercially launch INO-3107 in 2025, should it receive approval by the FDA as a treatment for RRP," said Dr. Jacqueline Shea, INOVIO's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Steve joins us at an exciting time, as we prepare to become a commercial-stage company, while advancing multiple product candidates targeting unmet medical needs. His expertise launching new products, driving market share in competitive environments, and growing overall therapeutic areas will be advantageous to the development and implementation of our commercial plans, as will his experience across immunology and vaccines, HPV, and rare diseases."

"This is a great time to join INOVIO as the company has the opportunity to market the first therapeutic option for patients suffering from RRP, a rare and debilitating HPV-related disease that significantly impacts quality of life," said Mr. Egge. "I look forward to working with the talented team at INOVIO and continuing the ongoing efforts to build out the company's commercial strategies and capabilities."

Mr. Egge comes to INOVIO from Sumitomo Pharma (formerly Myovant Sciences, acquired by Sumitovant Biopharma, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Pharma, in 2023), where as Senior Vice President and General Manager for Women's Health he was responsible for building the commercial leadership team, accelerating the launch of Myfembree® and helping lead the company's expansion into new indications. Mr. Egge was at Merck for twenty years, where he held a number of senior commercial leadership roles, including leading Merck's HPV Vaccines Franchise as well as Chief Marketing Officer for the Vaccine Division, where he oversaw launches for new indications for GARDASIL®, a re-launch of ZOSTAVAX®, and launch planning for GARDASIL9® and VAXELIS®. Mr. Egge also served as Global Commercial Head for Merck's Fertility Franchise, where he oversaw the launch of ELONVA® in ex-U.S. markets. After Merck, Mr. Egge served as Senior Vice President at Genfit Corp., a French biotech company focused on liver diseases, where he led commercial planning and business development.

About INOVIO's DNA Medicines Platform
INOVIO's DNA medicines platform has two innovative components: precisely designed DNA plasmids, delivered by INOVIO's proprietary investigational medical device, CELLECTRA®. INOVIO uses proprietary technology to design its DNA plasmids, which are small circular DNA molecules that work like software the body's cells can download to produce specific proteins to target and fight disease. INOVIO's proprietary CELLECTRA® delivery devices are designed to optimally deliver its DNA medicines to the body's cells without requiring chemical adjuvants or lipid nanoparticles and without the risk of the anti-vector response historically seen with viral vector platforms.

About INOVIO
INOVIO is a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing DNA medicines to help treat and protect people from HPV-related diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases. INOVIO's technology optimizes the design and delivery of innovative DNA medicines that teach the body to manufacture its own disease-fighting tools. For more information, visit www.inovio.com.

CELLECTRA® is a trademark of INOVIO.
GARDASIL®, GARDASIL9®, ZOSTAVAX® and ELONVA® are trademarks of Merck and Co., Inc.
VAXELIS® is trademark of The MSP Vaccine Company.
Myfembree® is trademark of Sumitomo Pharma Switzerland GmbH.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to our business, including our plans to develop and commercialize DNA medicines and expectations regarding our research and development programs, including the planned submission of a BLA in the second half of 2024 and the planned commercial launch of INO-3107 if regulatory approval is obtained. Actual events or results may differ from the expectations set forth herein as a result of a number of factors, including uncertainties inherent in pre-clinical studies, clinical trials, product development programs and commercialization activities and outcomes, the availability of funding to support continuing research and studies in an effort to prove safety and efficacy of electroporation technology as a delivery mechanism or develop viable DNA medicines, our ability to support our pipeline of DNA medicine products, the ability of our collaborators to attain development and commercial milestones for products we license and product sales that will enable us to receive future payments and royalties, the adequacy of our capital resources, the availability or potential availability of alternative therapies or treatments for the conditions targeted by us or collaborators, including alternatives that may be more efficacious or cost effective than any therapy or treatment that we and our collaborators hope to develop, issues involving product liability, issues involving patents and whether they or licenses to them will provide us with meaningful protection from others using the covered technologies, whether such proprietary rights are enforceable or defensible or infringe or allegedly infringe on rights of others or can withstand claims of invalidity and whether we can finance or devote other significant resources that may be necessary to prosecute, protect or defend them, the level of corporate expenditures, assessments of our technology by potential corporate or other partners or collaborators, capital market conditions, the impact of government healthcare proposals and other factors set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, and other filings we make from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. There can be no assurance that any product candidate in our pipeline will be successfully developed, manufactured, or commercialized, that the results of clinical trials will be supportive of regulatory approvals required to market products, or that any of the forward-looking information provided herein will be proven accurate. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise these statements, except as may be required by law.

Contacts
Media: Jennie Willson (267) 429-8567 jennie.willson@inovio.com
Investors: Thomas Hong (267) 440-4298 thomas.hong@inovio.com

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SOURCE INOVIO Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

FAQ

Who is the new Chief Commercial Officer at INOVIO?

Steven Egge has been appointed as the new Chief Commercial Officer at INOVIO.

What is Steven Egge's experience in the biopharmaceutical industry?

Steven Egge brings over 25 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, having held senior roles at Sumitomo Pharma and Merck.

What are INOVIO's plans for INO-3107?

INOVIO plans to submit a Biologics License Application for INO-3107 in the second half of 2024 under the FDA's Accelerated Approval Pathway.

What is INO-3107 intended to treat?

INO-3107 is intended to treat recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), a rare and debilitating HPV-related disease.

How will Steven Egge's appointment impact INOVIO?

Steven Egge's extensive experience in launching new products and building commercial strategies is expected to positively impact INOVIO's transition to a commercial-stage company.