- Dr. Akers to assist Provectus develop and manage new Company scientific advisory board
KNOXVILLE, TN, July 29, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Provectus (OTCQB: PVCT) today announced the addition of Dr. Frank Akers to the Company’s Strategic Advisory Board (“SAB”), effective August 1, 2019. Dr. Akers will also assist Provectus to develop, build, and manage the Company’s new Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Akers has developed board of directors and advisory boards for a number of companies, including several Fortune 500® companies. Provectus is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a new class of drugs for oncology and dermatology based on an entire, wholly-owned, family of small molecules called halogenated xanthenes.
Dr. Akers currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Oak Ridge Strategies Group, Inc. (ORSG), a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVO) company specializing in technology discovery, exploitation of disruptive technologies, customer relationship development, and strategic planning. He is responsible for identifying and creating strategic alliances and partnerships in the public and private sectors in support of ORSG’s mission. Dr. Akers also assesses the current mission and strategic vision for companies and develops recommendations for future implementation. He is a member of the board of directors or an advisory board for several commercial, governmental, and charitable organizations. Dr. Akers is the past chair of the U.S. Army Science Board, past chair of the board of advisors of the General H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center at North Carolina State University, and past member of the board of directors of The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He currently co-chairs the Mars Science Advisory Council for Mars, Incorporated, is a member of the board of directors of Rapiscan Laboratories, and is a member of the executive board of The Great Smoky Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
Prior to founding ORSG, Dr. Akers was Associate Laboratory Director for National Security at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). He was responsible for managing a focused research and development portfolio that included non-proliferation and threat reduction, arms and export control, homeland security, and counter-terrorism technologies for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Energy. Dr. Akers also coordinated ORNL activities with the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal agencies having missions involving national security, homeland security, law enforcement, and public safety.
After retiring as a Brigadier General from the U.S. Army, and prior to joining UT-Battelle (the 50-50 limited liability partnership between the University of Tennessee and Battelle Memorial Institute that is currently ORNL’s management contractor), Dr. Akers served as Vice President, Advanced Technologies for BWXT Y-12, L.L.C. (now B&W Y-12) and Lockheed Martin Energy Systems. He had leadership and management responsibilities for business units with a technical focus that included the National Prototype Center, Advanced Computing Technologies (ACT), Advanced Infrastructure Management Technologies (AIMTech), National Security Program Office (NSPO), and Oak Ridge Centers for Manufacturing Technology (ORCMT).
During his more than 30 years of distinguished military service, General Akers held numerous prominent positions, including Chief of Staff for the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Assistant Division Commander (Operations), 25th Infantry Division (Light), Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations (G‑3), XVIII Airborne Corps during Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm; Director of Operations (J‑3), Joint Special Operations Command; and, Chief of Staff, 82nd Airborne Division. His senior-level commands included 2nd Battalion, 9th Infantry, 2nd Infantry Division, Republic of Korea; and, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry and 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division. His multiple combat tours included service in the Republic of Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Southwest Asia, Haiti, and numerous special operations activities.
Dr. Akers is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and Duke University (PhD and MS). He also holds a graduate degree in Military Arts and Sciences, and has attended executive development courses at Harvard University, MIT, the University of Michigan, and the Center for Creative Leadership.
Ed Pershing, CPA, Chair of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), said, “We are honored to have Dr. Akers join our strategic advisory board and assist us in building relationships with healthcare-focused commercial, governmental, and academic entities. Frank brings diverse senior-level professional experience, a distinguished military service, extensive community service, highly-regarded education, and a long-standing track record of success as he endeavors to provide our leadership team with best practices for strategic planning. His selection to lead the formation of our new scientific advisory board reflects the seriousness of Provectus’ board of directors to effectively advance the Company's drug technologies towards eventually serving patients.”
Dominic Rodrigues, Board Vice Chair, said, “Having a scientific advisory board is a key element of building a science-based company like Provectus. The purpose of this new advisory board will be to further shape our drug development programs, bring us objective and external perspective by effectively harnessing the experience and expertise of healthcare industry professionals and medical opinion leaders, and raise our visibility in the biopharma industry. We are grateful to Dr. Akers for agreeing to assist us in undertaking this important initiative. His innate understanding of science and technology, tremendous leadership background, and deep experience developing professional boards should maximize the value of our scientific advisory board and contribute to Provectus’ goal of translating the Company’s science into clinical value for patients and asset value for our stockholders.”
About PV-10
Provectus’ lead investigational oncology drug, PV-10, the first small molecule oncolytic immunotherapy, can induce immunogenic cell death. PV-10 is undergoing clinical study for adult solid tumor cancers, like melanoma and cancers of the liver (including metastatic symptomatic neuroendocrine tumors and metastatic uveal melanoma), and preclinical study for pediatric cancers. Orphan drug designation status has been granted to PV-10 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatments of metastatic melanoma in 2006, hepatocellular carcinoma in 2011, neuroblastoma in 2018, and ocular melanoma in 2019.
About PH-10
Provectus' lead investigational dermatology drug, PH-10, a topically applied, non-steroidal, small molecule-based gel, is undergoing clinical study for inflammatory dermatoses like psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. PH-10 is self-applied to affected skin with photoactivation via ambient exposure to visible light. Pathways significantly improved by PH-10 treatment include published psoriasis transcriptomes and cellular responses mediated by IL-17, IL-22 and interferons.
About Provectus
Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Provectus or the Company) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company leading the development of a new class of drugs based on halogenated xanthenes, which are small molecule chemical agents. Information about the Company’s clinical trials can be found at the NIH registry, www.clinicaltrials.gov. For additional information about Provectus, please visit the Company's website at www.provectusbio.com.
Trademarks
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined under U.S. federal securities laws. These statements reflect management's current knowledge, assumptions, beliefs, estimates, and expectations and express management's current views of future performance, results, and trends and may be identified by their use of terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “will,” and other similar terms. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to materially differ from those described in the forward-looking statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Such statements are made as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update such statements after this date.
Risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to materially differ from those described in forward-looking statements include those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (including those described in Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018).
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Contact:
Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
Heather Raines, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Phone: (866) 594-5999