Andy Sheldon, chief executive of Canadian biopharmaceutical firm Medicago, was named ‘CEO of the Year’ at the World Vaccine Congress in Washington, DC, US.
The Vaccine Industry Excellence (ViE) Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of vaccine practitioners and stakeholders across the pharmaceutical industry.
Sheldon said he was honoured to receive the award. ‘Being chosen as CEO of the Year is also an acknowledgement of the Medicago team, and I share this award with all employees in recognition of their dedication and industry leading vision.’
2011 was an important year for Medicago and Sheldon said he looked forward to advancing the firm’s pipeline of plant-based product candidates.
This pipeline includes the initiation of a US Phase IIa clinical trial for a quadrivalent seasonal vaccine with interim data expected in the first quarter of 2013.
A Phase I clinical trial for a single-dose H5N1 VLP vaccine with a new adjuvant is planned for the second quarter of 2012, in partnership with the Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI), with interim data expected in the second half of this year. Medicago is also conducting r&d in the area of biosimilar products.