Mark P. Backer

Vaxart, Inc. develops technology for oral vaccination against infectious agents. Its products in pipeline include H1N1 seasonal influenza vaccine and oral H5N1 avian influenza vaccine. The firm develops oral recombinant vaccines based on its proprietary oral vaccine delivery platform. The company was founded by Sean N. Tucker in 2004 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

Molecular Medicine BioServices, Inc. is a company that provides services in the pharmaceutical industry. The company is based in Carlsbad, CA. The company has signed a manufacturing agreement with Cardium Therapeutics for the production of Generx and have expanded their services to better serve client vaccine development and testing needs. The company was acquired by Sigma-Aldrich Corp., part of Merck KGaA on November 19, 2015.

The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) is a professional society with over 60,000 members in more than 110 countries. The private company is based in New York, NY, and has subsidiaries in the United States. AIChE offers various programs, including e-learning, webinars, and career advancement, to help chemical engineers at every career juncture bridge the skills gap created by the rush of technology, changing work styles, and unprecedented societal needs. Founded in 1908, AIChE is a focal point for information exchange on the frontiers of chemical engineering research in areas such as energy, sustainability, biological and environmental engineering, nanotechnology, and chemical plant safety and security.

Founded in 1995, Coulter Pharmaceutical is engaged in the development of novel drugs and therapies for the treatment of people with cancer and autoimmune diseases. Currently under development is a family of therapeutics based upon two drug discovery platforms: therapeutic antibodies and targeted oncologics.

Systemix, Inc. develops cell-based gene therapies for diseases. The company is based in Palo Alto, CA. The company was founded by Irving L. Weissman, Leroy E. Hood. Systemix was acquired by Novartis AG on February 14, 1997 for $75.90 million.

IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corp. used to develop and commercialize targeted immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. The company’s products used to act chiefly through immune system mechanisms, exerting their effect by binding to specific, readily targeted immune cells in the patient’s blood or lymphatic system. The company was headquartered in San Diego, CA.

Genentech, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products for life-threatening medical conditions. It studies various areas including oncology, immunology, neuroscience, ophthalmic diseases, microbial pathogenesis, metabolic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and opportunistic areas. The company was founded by Herb W. Boyer and Robert A. Swanson in 1976 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, CA.