Margaret McGlynn, Former President of Global Vaccines at Merck, Joins IAVI Board

New York, July 6, 2010 — The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) announces the appointment of Margaret McGlynn, former President of Global Vaccines and Anti-infectives at Merck, to its board of directors. She joins a highly independent group of 16 advisors from 10 countries who meet three times a year to assess IAVI’s progress and shape its long-term strategy.

Ms. McGlynn—who retired from Merck in 2009, after 26 years at the company—today serves as a board member for nonprofit and private sector entities and is engaged in building a research foundation to pursue treatments for a rare genetic disease that has affected her family. She gained extensive experience in global health during her tenure at Merck as head of the global vaccine and anti-infectives division.  Most notably, she has served on the board and executive committee of the Global Alliance for Vaccine Immunization, a public private partnership to bring existing life-saving vaccines against common infectious diseases to people across the developing world. Ms. McGlynn was also one of 25 commissioners recruited by the Center for Strategic and International Studies for its prestigious Commission on Smart Global Health Policy, which issued in March 2010 a report advising the Obama administration and Congress on a long-term, strategic approach to U.S. global health efforts.  

“We are delighted to have Margie on the board,” said Seth Berkley, IAVI’s President and Chief Executive Officer.  “We expect that her business acumen, her hands-on experience in the vaccine industry and HIV marketplace, and the depth of her knowledge about health, public policy and development issues will prove invaluable to the board. She also brings considerable insight on building strong relationships between the nonprofit and private sectors in global health initiatives.” Such partnerships are central to IAVI’s mission to accelerate the development of safe, effective and affordable AIDS vaccines for use throughout the world. 
“I am honored to serve on the board of IAVI and look forward to playing a role in helping to someday win the battle against the HIV pandemic and to bringing hope to the countries and people that have been devastated by this disease,” said Ms. McGlynn. 

As head of Merck’s vaccines and infectious diseases division, Ms. McGlynn was responsible for a $7 billion portfolio of products and oversaw the launch of several important new vaccines and anti-infective agents. Among them was Gardasil, the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer, and Isentress, the first integrase Inhibitor marketed to treat HIV. Ms. McGlynn launched several initiatives to provide people in developing countries access to Merck’s vaccines and antiretroviral medications, and she played a major role in the launch of the MSD-Wellcome Trust Hilleman Laboratories, a research center to develop vaccines for the developing world in partnership between Merck and the Wellcome Trust. 

Ms. McGlynn’s experience at Merck spanned multiple product lines, covering primary care, specialty, vaccine and hospital products.  Born and raised in up-state New York, Ms. McGlynn holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy and an MBA in Marketing, both from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

About IAVI 
The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) is a global not-for-profit organization whose mission is to ensure the development of safe, effective, accessible, preventive HIV vaccines for use throughout the world. Founded in 1996 and operational in 25 countries, IAVI and its network of collaborators research and develop vaccine candidates.  IAVI was founded with the generous support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Starr Foundation, and Until There’s A Cure Foundation.  Other major supporters include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, The John D. Evans Foundation, The New York Community Trust, the James B. Pendleton Charitable Trust; the Governments of Canada, Denmark, India, Ireland, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the Basque Autonomous Government (Spain), the European Union as well as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and The City of New York, Economic Development Corporation; multilateral organizations such as The World Bank and The OPEC Fund for International Development; corporate donors including BD (Becton, Dickinson & Co.), Bristol-Myers Squibb, Continental Airlines, Google Inc., Pfizer Inc, and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.; leading AIDS charities such as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS; and many generous individuals from around the world.  For more information, see www.iavi.org. 
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