BioVex Appoints Genzyme Executive, Jan van Heek, as Chairman of the Board of Directors

    WOBURN, Mass., Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- BioVex Inc, a biotechnology
 company developing clinical stage treatments for cancer and the prevention
 of infectious disease, announced today that it has appointed Jan van Heek,
 age 58, as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
     Mr. van Heek is employed as a Senior Advisor to the CEO and the senior
 management team of Genzyme Corporation; he joined Genzyme in 1991 and has
 been responsible for building the Company's worldwide therapeutics,
 surgical and genetic testing businesses. He established Genzyme's European
 offices in the early 1990's before moving to the U.S. to head the Company's
 therapeutics division. Mr. van Heek has played a key role in building
 Genzyme's broad portfolio of businesses and manufacturing infrastructure
 worldwide. Prior to Genzyme, Mr. van Heek held various management positions
 at Baxter Healthcare Corporation in Europe and the U.S. At Baxter, his last
 position was as vice president/general manager of the global Fenwal
 Division of Baxter Healthcare Corporation based in Deerfield, Illinois. Mr.
 van Heek is a board member of Viacell Corporation, Zelos Corporation and
 PanGenetics BV. He received an M.B.A. from St. Gallen University,
 Switzerland and an executive degree from Stanford Business School,
 California.
     Philip Astley-Sparke, President & CEO of BioVex Inc, said:
     "Jan's appointment brings to the Board nearly two decades of experience
 in managing the commercial and manufacturing operations of one the world's
 preeminent biotechnology companies."
     Jan van Heek, Chairman of BioVex Inc, said:
     "I am excited to be joining BioVex at a transformational time in its
 development as it scales up its manufacturing operations to produce launch
 grade material. I look forward to working with the management team, the
 Board and the Company's investors in implementing the Company's substantial
 growth plans over the next year and beyond."
     About BioVex
     BioVex is a privately held biotechnology Company based in Woburn. MA.
 The Company is developing a new class of potent biologics for the treatment
 of cancer and prevention of infectious disease.
     BioVex's lead cancer program, OncoVEX GM-CSF, is an oncolytic virus
 that selectively destroys tumor cells accompanied by the induction of a
 systemic immune response. OncoVEX GM-CSF is currently completing a Phase II
 clinical trial for melanoma and Phase I/II clinical trials for head & neck
 cancer and pancreatic cancer. Preliminary data from these studies has been
 very encouraging demonstrating OncoVEX GM-CSF has the potential to treat
 both local and metastatic disease. The Company is currently preparing for
 an initial registration study in melanoma where multiple responses have
 been demonstrated in an ongoing Phase II trial testing OncoVEX GM-CSF as
 stand alone therapy in patients with un-resectable stage IIIc and stage IV
 metastatic disease.
     The Company's second program is a vaccine for genital herpes, ImmunoVEX
 HSV2, which provides complete protection in animal models of the disease. A
 Phase I study with ImmunoVEX HSV2 is scheduled to initiate later this year.
     For more information visit the company's website at www.biovex.com.
 
 

SOURCE BioVex Inc