COVID-19 vaccine biotech Vaccitech nabs Pfizer, Kite vet as full-time CMO

The biotech behind AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford’s late-stage pandemic vaccine has hired Margaret (Meg) Marshall, M.D., as its new chief medical officer.

Marshall joined as a consultant to Oxford spinout Vaccitech in the summer, but she now jumps on board full time. This comes two months after it nabbed U.K. government funding for a COVID-19 vaccine it thinks can improve on first-generation prospects, including the AstraZeneca vaccine it helped develop.

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Outside of pandemic vaccines, the biotech is also working on T-cell vaccines and immunotherapies designed to treat and prevent infectious disease and cancer.

Marshall comes with a strong pedigree, holding directorship positions in the clinical research departments of Kyowa Kirin, Kite Pharma and Pfizer. At Vaccitech, she will now lead the clinical development and running of the company’s programs.

“It has been a great experience working for [CEO Bill Enright] and the team, and I’m thrilled to officially be on board to lead the clinical development of our exciting immunotherapy and vaccine programs,” said Marshall.

“Our T cell-inducing platform has great potential to be transformative, and to deliver patient benefits in chronic infectious diseases such as HBV and HPV as well as in oncology indications such as prostate cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.”