Novavax Hires Two Pharma Stalwarts to Push Covid Vaccine
US biotech Novavax, in the final stage of developing its protein-based Covid-19 vaccine, NVX-CoV2373, is adding muscle in human resources before applying to the US Food and Drug Administration, along with other national and international regulators for emergency use authorization in the fourth quarter.
The company has appointed Nasir Egal, a former executive of Sanofi, as new senior vice president of quality assurance, and Jim Kelly, formerly of Supernus Pharmaceuticals, its new chief financial officer and treasurer, to help push the vaccine across the finish line.
Nearly 10 years at Sanofi, Egal’s last position was as head of global quality external affairs. Before joining the French drugmaker, he worked in global and regional quality and compliance at Novartis and Merck & Co. He also served a stint at the FDA as a research scientist.
Kelly last served as CFO of Supernus and prior to that held the job of CFO and treasurer at Vanda Pharmaceuticals, after having financial roles at Biogen and MedImmune. Novavax will count on Kelly’s financial and strategic expertise as it “quickly matures into a global commercial company,” the company’s CEO, Stanley Erck, said.
Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist
