Sabin Vaccine Institute Makes New Board Appointments As Two Trustees Complete Terms

Washington, D.C. - The Sabin Vaccine Institute bids farewell to two members of its Board of Trustees who have had significant impact on the growth of the organization and welcomes two new members to the Board.

Sabin benefitted from the tenure of Board Trustee Dr. Jacqueline Shea, CEO at Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., who has served on the Board since March 2019, including roles as Treasurer and Chair of the Finance & Audit committee.

"Jacqui's understanding of vaccine development and her enthusiasm for Sabin's mission contributed a great deal to Sabin's accomplishments," says Amy Finan, Sabin Chief Executive Officer. "Her experience in both the biotech and the non-profit vaccine development sectors supported the advancement of the organization and positioned Sabin to take on new challenges."

Axel Hoos' Transformative Tenure

A developer of biologics, vaccines, and small molecule medicines, biopharma executive and entrepreneur, Dr. Axel Hoos served on the Board for 20 years. During his six-year term as Board Chair, Hoos drove clarity of Sabin's mission and the shift to a more impact-driven organization, transforming Sabin from "an academic focus to more of an entrepreneurial ethos." Focused on the vision of the organization's namesake Dr. Albert B. Sabin - developing and licensing novel vaccines while ensuring access where most needed, including low-income countries - Hoos strongly supported Sabin's 2019 transition to its current pipeline with two vaccines now in Phase 2 clinical trials with the goal of becoming licensed medicines.

Early during his Sabin tenure, Hoos led Sabin's engagement into the then-emerging field of cancer immunotherapy and co-founded Sabin's Cancer Vaccine Consortium to bring together academia, industry, patients, and regulators. Under his leadership, Sabin transitioned the Consortium - now the Cancer Immunotherapy Consortium - to the New York City-based nonprofit Cancer Research Institute (CRI) to further enhance its reach. Hoos maintained his leadership of the Consortium under CRI, propelling it to reach its mission to make immunotherapy part of the standard of care in oncology with the development and licensure of the first such medicine (ipilimumab) in 2011.

"Axel set forth a long-term plan to advance Sabin both to be true to its history and create a new impactful trajectory for its future growth. The first and key step was in 2016 when he identified the new CEO, Amy Finan," says Dr. Regina Rabinovich, Chair of Sabin's Board of Trustees. "He also understood the management challenges and opportunities and guided Sabin to manage risks and take on hefty challenges. It has already paid off."

"Axel had the vision and invested the time, energy, and expertise to lead Sabin to a new level," says Finan. "We are enormously grateful for his commitment to Sabin. He has positioned us well for continued success and impact."

New Members Bring Expertise

Two new members - Rene Salas and Dr. John Paul Clark - have joined the Board to help advance vaccine development, identify new immunization opportunities, and navigate new funding realities in global health.

Salas brings both strategic and financial expertise with a focus on research and development to the Board. During his 33-year career with Ernst & Young, including as a partner and ten years leading the mid-Atlantic life sciences division, Salas advised health and technology organizations from start-ups to mid-size and top-tier companies and understands the financial strategy needed to support successful growth. Since 2020, he has worked with and served on the boards of various biotech companies. He is an active member of the Latino Corporate Directors Association and serves on the Board of Directors of Northern Virginia Family Services.

Clark is a respected global health expert with in-depth understanding of global immunization architecture, finance, and funding. He most recently served as Lead Health Advisor to the World Bank, and his 35 years in global public health include senior positions at the World Health Organization in Geneva, the USAID Bureau for Africa and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He serves on the Boards of Directors of Management Sciences for Health (MSH) and the Advisory Board of the Primary Health Care Coalition (PHCC).

"Both Rene and John Paul bring unique experiences and insights that will be valuable as Sabin moves into our next period of growth, and as the disruption in global health continues," says Finan.

Rabinovich welcomed the new members, emphasizing the importance of their expertise. "As we navigate a rapidly evolving R&D and global immunization landscape, their varied global and health experiences will add significantly to our Board."

Salas and Clark join Rabinovich, Finan, and current members on Sabin's Board of Trustees.