INOVIO (NASDAQ:INO) today announced it has appointed two experienced senior executives to lead its growth in the Asia market and to advance the clinical development of its DNA vaccine INO-4800 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Gene Kim joins the company as President of INOVIO Asia, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of INOVIO based in Seoul, Korea. Mr. Kim served as chief financial officer of several publicly traded Korean companies listed on the KOSDAQ exchange and successfully led a company through the initial public offering (IPO) process to the Korean exchange. Mr. Kim will report to Dr. J. Joseph Kim, INOVIO's CEO.
• Mammen (Anza) Mammen, M.D., FACP, FIDSA joins INOVIO as Senior Vice President, Clinical Development. The former U.S. military vaccine and pandemic expert will oversee the clinical development of INO-4800, INOVIO's DNA vaccine targeting the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Dr. Mammen will report to Dr. Laurent Humeau, INOVIO's CSO.

Dr. J. Joseph Kim, INOVIO's President and CEO, said, "These two leaders bring the precise expertise that will further advance INOVIO as a leader in developing and commercializing DNA medicines and vaccines. Gene Kim has financial and M&A experience in Asia that will enhance our growth across the Asian market and, specifically, will lead INOVIO's corporate development functions in South Korea and other Asian countries. Dr. Mammen's product development experience and military infectious disease background will be invaluable as we move INO-4800 into late-stage efficacy trials and licensure. He also brings a strong biotechnology company track record to support INOVIO's commercial portfolio of vaccines."

Mr. Gene Kim, who holds an MBA from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania, was formerly Chief Financial Officer of VGX Pharmaceuticals and helped to lead its merger with Inovio Biomedical in 2009 to form INOVIO Pharmaceuticals. He most recently served as chief financial officer of the Korean high-tech companies AfreecaTV, Co., Ltd, and WeMade Entertainment Co., Ltd., both listed on KOSDAQ. He also held positions of increasing responsibility at Yodlee and Deutsche Bank.

Dr. Mammen served as the Chief of the Pandemic Warning Team for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) at Fort Detrick, MD, where his interagency team monitored for early indicators of global pandemics. He managed vaccine programs for the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command at Fort Detrick, MD, served as Chief, Department of Virology at the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (AFRIMS) in Bangkok, Thailand, and served as an infectious disease officer at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) in Silver Spring, MD. Dr. Mammen retired from the U.S. Army with a rank of Colonel and was awarded the Legion of Merit medal for exceptional service. Most recently, Dr. Mammen led clinical development at Vical Inc., a San Diego-based DNA vaccine developer. Dr. Mammen earned his bachelor's degree from Williams College and his medical degree from the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine; he completed his clinical training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He is board-certified in infectious diseases and is a fellow of the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) and of the American College of Physicians (ACP).

About INO-4800

INO-4800 is INOVIO's DNA vaccine candidate being developed to protect against the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. INO-4800 was designed rapidly using INOVIO's proprietary DNA medicine platform after the publication of the genetic sequence of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. INOVIO has extensive experience working with coronaviruses and is the only company with a Phase 2 vaccine for a related coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

INO-4800 is the only nucleic-acid based vaccine that is stable at room temperature for more than a year and does not require to be frozen in transport or storage, which are important factors when implementing mass immunizations.

About INOVIO's DNA Medicines Platform

INOVIO has 15 DNA medicine clinical programs currently in development focused on HPV-associated diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases, including coronaviruses associated with MERS and COVID-19 diseases being developed under grants from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the DoD. DNA medicines are composed of optimized DNA plasmids, which are small circles of double-stranded DNA that are synthesized or reorganized by a computer sequencing technology and designed to produce a specific immune response in the body.