Season 02: episode 23
As Helena and Marc wrap up this season, they’re joined by Mike Watson, CEO of Mevox – a company committed to bringing vaccine technology into the 21st century.
Mike discusses the importance of developing new measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines, Mevox’s success so far in achieving this ambition – reaching series B funding – and its future trajectory, how COVID-19 will impact the future of vaccine development, along with a whole host of other fascinating insights. As Helena’s favourite interview of Season 2 (apart from when she accidentally mixes up the letters of MHRA!), it’s not one to be missed.
And in ‘News you might have missed’, we cover an OTC contraceptive pill request in the US, new principles for data transparency from the ABPI, and lots more.
A little on GOLD’s guest…
A UK trained physician, Mike Watson has over 25 years of global vaccines R&D and vaccination leadership and implementation experience, based in the UK, France and the US in global vaccine companies as well as cutting-edge biotech companies. Highlights have included the development of paediatric pentavalent and hexavalent vaccines and influenza vaccines as well as the transition from oral to injectable polio vaccines in low-income countries to underpin eradication. He led the European team that licensed the HPV vaccine Gardasil as well as leading Moderna’s vaccine and infectious diseases team until the end of 2019. Mike co-founded and leads the molecularly-engineered protein subunit vaccine company MEVOX and is Executive Chair of saRNA company VaxEquity. He sits on the CEPI scientific advisory committee, the board of the diagnostics NGO, FIND and a number of vaccines company boards. He is driven by the exceptional opportunity that vaccines give him to combine cutting-edge science, working with extraordinary people and impacting lives everywhere.