Former Pfizer Vaccines lead now at SutroVax

Jim Wassil has been appointed chief operating officer of SutroVax. In this role, Wassil is leading clinical development, regulatory affairs, medical affairs, quality assurance, and program management activities.

“The SutroVax platform, which among other things allows for site-specific conjugation to enable broader-spectrum conjugates, offers the potential to develop a new class of vaccines to address the most important strains causing disease today, particularly for pneumococcal disease,” Wassil says. “I am fortunate to be able to join SutroVax at such an exciting time and look forward to helping advance these important public health tools.”

Wassil brings extensive experience in the development and commercialization of vaccines, having spent the past three decades in positions of increasing responsibility in the vaccine divisions of Merck, Novartis and Pfizer. Most recently, he was responsible for market access, policy, pricing, tender negotiations, epidemiology and health outcomes as the business unit lead for Pfizer Vaccines, where he was responsible for the full vaccine portfolio, including both the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine franchise (Prevnar 13) and the meningococcal conjugate vaccine franchise (Nimenrix, Neisvac-C and Trumemba).

Previously, he was responsible for the development and launch of Menveo, a meningococcal conjugate vaccine, Bexsero, and the advancement of the ABCWY vaccine candidate while at Novartis Vaccines. Prior to that, he led international marketing for the pediatric vaccine franchise at Merck Vaccines, where he launched RotaTeq, a vaccine for rotavirus gastroenteritis in infants and children, and held other technical and operational roles of increasing responsibility.

“Jim’s breadth and depth of experience in the vaccine field is exceptional,” says Grant Pickering, CEO and founder of SutroVax. “His track record of successful vaccine development and commercialization will be tremendously valuable as we advance our pneumococcal conjugate vaccine franchise, led by SVX-24, into the clinic. As the company grows and matures, his leadership and long-standing relationships throughout the vaccines industry will help us attract more great talent as we work to deliver a cache of important new vaccines.”

SutroVax is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing best-in-class conjugate vaccines and novel complex antigen-based vaccines designed to prevent serious infectious diseases. medadnews