Inovio Pharmaceuticals' Chief Executive Named Life Sciences CEO of the Year by the Philadelphia Business Journal

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today that Dr. Joseph Kim, President & CEO, has been named Life Sciences CEO of the Year by the Philadelphia Business Journal as part of the Journal's inaugural Life Sciences Awards, a new program recognizing the region's "medical miracle makers for their innovative approaches to improving the delivery of health care."Dr. Kim became the CEO of Inovio Pharmaceuticals in June 2009 upon the completion of its merger with VGX Pharmaceuticals, a company he co-founded. Previously, Dr. Kim led efforts at Merck & Co in manufacturing and process development of several FDA-approved products for hepatitis and HIV/AIDS. He co-founded VGX in December 2000 as a start-up based on technology licensed from the University of Pennsylvania and was VGX's CEO. In a span of less than 10 years, Dr. Kim has guided the advancement of a new type of vaccine, called a DNA vaccine, from early research into human clinical trials -- including vaccines for cancer, HIV, and influenza.About Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Inovio is developing a new generation of vaccines, called DNA vaccines, to treat and prevent cancers and infectious diseases. These SynCon(TM) vaccines are designed to provide broad cross-strain protection against known as well as newly emergent strains of pathogens such as influenza. These vaccines, in combination with Inovio's proprietary electroporation delivery devices, have been shown to be safe and generate significant immune responses. Inovio's clinical programs include HPV/cervical dysplasia and cancer (therapeutic), avian flu (preventive), and HIV vaccines (both preventive and therapeutic). Inovio is developing universal influenza and other vaccines in collaboration with scientists from the University of Pennsylvania. Other partners and collaborators include Merck, National Cancer Institute, HIV Vaccines Trial Network, National Microbiology Laboratory of the Public Health Agency of Canada, and PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative.