Affinivax Appoints Vanya Sagar as Chief People Officer

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Affinivax, Inc. (“Affinivax”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of a novel class of vaccines with its MAPS™ (Multiple Antigen Presenting System) technology platform, today announced the appointment of Vanya Sagar, M.P.A., as its Chief People Officer. Joining the company’s executive leadership team and reporting to the CEO, Ms. Sagar will be responsible for all aspects of Affinivax’s human resources strategy, including talent management, leadership development, compensation and benefits, culture and its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

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Affinivax Chief People Officer Vanya Sagar (Photo: Business Wire)

“As we continue to build an innovative and diverse company, we are excited to bolster our leadership team with the addition of Vanya, who has a wealth of relevant experience and shares our vision for building a people-centered culture while attracting, retaining and developing world class teams,” stated Steven Brugger, Chief Executive Officer of Affinivax. “Our company is positioned for exciting opportunities ahead as we seek to impact health with our novel MAPS vaccines, and I look forward to working closely with Vanya to build upon our most valuable asset, our people.”

“I am excited to join Affinivax as the company has entered a pivotal growth phase, highlighted by expanding clinical and manufacturing capabilities,” commented Vanya Sagar. “Affinivax has a groundbreaking technology platform for innovative vaccines, and I am thrilled to be part of growing a high-performing team as we invest in the organizational strategies and focus on the talented people who are crucial to Affinivax’s success.”

Ms. Sagar brings over 15 years of relevant industry experience in human resources and operational roles for highly-regarded biotechnology and health care organizations. Prior to joining Affinivax, she served as the Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer at Sigilon Therapeutics, Inc., where she led the company’s people function through pivotal times of growth and transformation from pre-IPO to a clinical stage organization. Before joining Sigilon, Ms. Sagar served first as a Talent Acquisition Leader and subsequently as Lead Human Resources Business Partner at Biogen Inc. While there, she acted as a strategic partner to both the SVP of Research and Early Development and the CFO and global finance organization, supporting the implementation of business strategy, execution of business objectives and management of employee engagement. Prior to Biogen, she served in operational and human resources roles of increasing responsibility at Massachusetts General Hospital. Ms. Sagar holds a Bachelor’s degree in Counseling and a Masters of Public Administration from Suffolk University.

About Affinivax, Inc.

Affinivax is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of a novel class of vaccines designed to induce a broad and robust protective immune response to both disease-relevant polysaccharides and disease-relevant proteins in a single vaccine. Affinivax designs each of its vaccine candidates to optimize the protective immune response to one or both of these antigens utilizing the distinctive plug-and-play nature of its proprietary MAPS™ technology platform, presenting the potential opportunity to make a significant step forward in addressing major healthcare challenges posed by novel and resistant infectious diseases. Affinivax was founded in 2014 with a seed investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and an exclusive license to the MAPS technology from Boston Children’s Hospital. For more information, visit www.affinivax.com.

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