MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Aviron (Nasdaq: AVIR) today
announced that Kurt C. Vorheis has been named vice president, manufacturing.
In his new role, Mr. Vorheis will be responsible for manufacturing strategy
and operations for all of Aviron's potential products including FluMist(TM),
Aviron's intranasal influenza vaccine, which is currently under review by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Mr. Vorheis joins Aviron from Chiron Corporation, where he most recently
served as senior director, global manufacturing -- information and planning.
In this role, he managed assessment of worldwide manufacturing capacity and
strategic planning for the manufacture of current and future products. He
also served as senior director of Chiron Biocine with responsibility for
worldwide vaccine production planning and logistics. Mr. Vorheis joined
Chiron in 1992, and as director of corporate engineering was responsible for
the successful engineering, construction, start-up and validation of three
cGMP commercially licensed facilities. He attended the University of
California-Berkeley and Purdue University, and has a lifetime California
Community College teaching credential.
"We are pleased to welcome Kurt to the Aviron team," said Fred Kurland,
Aviron's senior vice president and chief financial officer. "As Aviron moves
towards product commercialization, our manufacturing capability and expertise
becomes essential to our growth. Kurt's expertise in biotechnology and
vaccine manufacturing, combined with his breadth of global experience,
provides the leadership our company needs to move forward in this important
area."
Aviron is a biopharmaceutical company based in Mountain View, CA focused
on prevention of disease. The company's goal is to develop products which
offer cost-effective prevention of a wide range of infections that affect the
general population. The majority of Aviron's products under development are
live vaccines against viral infections. These include respiratory infections
and their complications; influenza, parainfluenza (PIV-3), and respiratory
syncytial virus (RSV); as well as cytomegalovirus (CMV) and genital herpes
(HSV-2). FluMist(TM), the company's intranasal influenza vaccine, is
currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Aviron is
also developing, in collaboration with SmithKline Beecham Biologicals, a
subunit vaccine against Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) infection, a major cause of
infectious mononucleosis.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Actual results
may differ materially from those suggested here. Additional information
concerning factors that could cause such a difference is contained in Aviron's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997.
To receive an index and copies of recent press releases, call Aviron's
News-On-Call toll-free fax service, 800-758-5804, extension 114000.
Additional information about the company can be located at
http://www.aviron.com.
SOURCE Aviron
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http://www.aviron.com
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fax, 800-758-5804, ext. 114000
CONTACT:
media, Karen Gilbert, 650-919-6578, or
investors, Lyn Christenson, 650-919-3716, both of Aviron; or
media, John Bluth of Fleishman-Hillard, 212-453-2000, for Aviron
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