SHELTON, CT / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2020 / NanoViricides, Inc. (NYSE Amer.:NNVC) (the "Company"), a leader in developing novel nanomedicines to treat viral diseases, reports that Dr. Makarand "Mak" Jawadekar, a veteran Pharma industry expert professional, has been duly appointed as an Independent Director to its Board of Directors. He is also appointed as a member of the Board's Audit Committee, Nomination Committee, and Compensation Committee.
Dr. Mak Jawadekar has been serving as a strategic advisor to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies through his independent consultancy since 2010. He has over 35 years of experience in the Pharma Industry spanning both Business and Research activities. He has extensive experience in joint ventures, alliance management, contracting, outsourcing, benchmarking, performance metrics, pharmaceutical research and development, drug delivery technologies, formulations, clinical supply manufacturing and packaging, clinical trial materials, pharmaceutics, and pharmaceutical sciences. He also has deep knowledge and global experience working across the United States, Europe, India, and other parts of Asia, including Japan and China. He has helped create several Pharma R&D Partnerships, Joint Ventures, and Collaborations during his career.
"We are very pleased to announce that Dr. Jawadekar has joined our Board. His breadth and depth of experience in developing collaborations and alliances would be highly valuable to the Company, as we advance our drug candidates further into the regulatory pathway," said Anil R. Diwan, PhD., Executive Chairman of the Board and President of the Company.
Prior to his consultancy practice, Dr. Jawadekar was at Pfizer, Inc., as Director, Portfolio Management & Analytics, and as Vice President, Asia Colleague Resource Group, in the Pfizer Global R&D division. Mak held roles of increasing responsibility from 1982 to 2010 while at Pfizer, in technical, management, and business development positions. In these roles, he has worked in the areas of Drug Delivery Technology Assessment, Strategic External Alliance Management, Strategic CMC, Pharma R&D, Clinical Manufacturing, Manufacturing Technology Transfer and Scale-up, beginning as a research scientist in formulations development.
Dr. Jawadekar has presented at many professional meetings and has participated in various Panel Discussions/Round Tables around the globe. US President George W. Bush invited Dr. Jawadekar to accompany him on a trip to India in 2006. Recently, he accompanied Honorable Congressman Todd Rokita (R) Indiana, on a business mission to India in 2019. He has accompanied Presidents of Pfizer R & D to India in 2007 and also in 2009. During February 2018, he worked with Mr. Tonino Lamborghini, Chairman, Tonino Lamborghini S.p.A. of Italy to establish strategic collaborations in India, working through India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Dr. Jawadekar serves on the boards of two other public companies, namely: Preveceutical Medical Inc. (PREV), and Cardax, Inc. (CDXI), as an independent board member. He also serves on the Strategic and Scientific Advisory Boards of a number of companies, including Actinium Pharma (ATNM), Saama Technologies, Inc., Diant Pharma, Inc., and Tonino Lamborghini SpA, Italy. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors at Abilities Inc., a NY based, non-profit organization.
Mak holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics from the University of Minnesota, and was honored with an honorary D.Sc. degree by DYP Mumbai University, recommended by the President of India, in February, 2011.
The Company believes Dr. Jawadekar's long history as a pharmaceutical and biotech professional, particularly in alliance development and management, in business strategy, and in pharmaceutical sciences, and CMC in drug delivery, render him well qualified to serve as an independent member of the Board of Directors.
In another news, the Company advises that Mr. James Sapirstein is leaving the Board of Directors of the Company. He tendered his resignation due to increased workload in his role as the CEO of AzurRx BioPharma, Inc. (AZRX). Mr. Sapirstein joined AzurRx as CEO and President in October 2019, and had advised the Company of his intention to retire from our Board of Directors. The Company and Mr. Sapirstein have no differences of opinion and Mr. Sapirstein has continued to advise the Company on various strategic aspects as the Company is progressing toward filing its first IND application, and in its financing efforts.
"We sincerely appreciate Mr. Sapirstein's various contributions to the Company as an independent Director, and we wish him continued success in his career," said Mr. Stan Glick, Lead Independent Director, on behalf of the Board and the Executive Management of the Company.
About NanoViricides NanoViricides, Inc. (www.nanoviricides.com) is a development stage company that is creating special purpose nanomaterials for antiviral therapy. The Company's novel nanoviricide® class of drug candidates are designed to specifically attack enveloped virus particles and to dismantle them. Our lead drug candidate is NV-HHV-101 with its first indication as dermal topical cream for the treatment of shingles rash. The Company is also developing drugs against a number of viral diseases including oral and genital Herpes, viral diseases of the eye including EKC and herpes keratitis, H1N1 swine flu, H5N1 bird flu, seasonal Influenza, HIV, Hepatitis C, Rabies, Dengue fever, and Ebola virus, among others. The Company's technology is based on broad, exclusive, sub-licensable, field licenses to drugs developed in these areas from TheraCour Pharma, Inc. This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's current expectation regarding future events. Actual events could differ materially and substantially from those projected herein and depend on a number of factors. Certain statements in this release, and other written or oral statements made by NanoViricides, Inc. are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the company's expectations include, but are not limited to, those factors that are disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in documents filed by the company from time to time with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory authorities. Although it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors, they may include the following: demonstration and proof of principle in preclinical trials that a nanoviricide is safe and effective; successful development of our product candidates; our ability to seek and obtain regulatory approvals, including with respect to the indications we are seeking; the successful commercialization of our product candidates; and market acceptance of our products. FDA refers to US Food and Drug Administration. IND application refers to "Investigational New Drug" application. CMC refers to "Chemistry, Manufacture, and Controls".
