A company that is guided and advised by nationally recognized leaders.

Dr. Michael G Hanna, Jr. received his Ph.D. in experimental pathology and immunology from the University of Tennessee, and served  as Director of the National Cancer Institute, Frederick Cancer Research Center. He was Chief Operating Officer of Organon Teknika/Biotechnology Research Institute and Senior Vice President of Organon Teknika Corporation, a subsidiary of Akzo Nobel, The Netherlands. Dr. Hanna developed and obtained approvals for TICE BCG for the treatment of carcinoma in situ (CIS) bladder cancer, which remains the standard of care for prophylaxis of recurrence of superficial bladder cancer and therapy of CIS. 

Subsequently, Dr. Hanna founded PerImmune Inc., for which he served as President and Chief Executive Officer.  After merging with Intracel Resources, Dr. Hanna continued his work as Chief Scientific Officer and Chairman. In 2007, Dr. Hanna founded Vaccinogen Inc., where he now serves as Chairman and CEO. Vaccinogen is a pioneer in the field of cancer vaccines and is developing OncoVAX, an autologous vaccine designed to elicit a specific immune response against cancer cells. The Phase 3 vaccine is being investigated for treatment mainly of colon cancer, but also for melanoma and renal cell carcinoma.

In addition to cancer therapy research and development, Dr. Hanna has been involved in Homeland Security. He served as Chairman of the Department of Commerce Biotechnology Advisory Committee and also participated in the Department of Defense Technical Working Group for Biotechnology.  Dr. Hanna’s research resulted in over 225 publications in international peer-reviewed journals and book chapters, and he holds 10 patents related to immunotherapy. Dr. Hanna has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards and has served on many editorial boards, including for Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics.

The science behind OncoVAX® has attracted a nationally recognized group of key opinion leaders in Oncology, Pathology and Colorectal Surgery, now making up our Medical Advisory Board (MAB).  Members include the following.  

• Dr. Nancy Kemeny has for the last 30 years been a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, with a special expertise in developing new chemotherapy regimens for colorectal cancer. 
• Steven Wexner, MD, is the Director of the Digestive Disease Center and Chairman of the Department of Colorectal Surgery at Cleveland Clinic.  
• Mariana Berho, MD, is Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Services at the Cleveland Clinic, and Chief Wellness Officer for Cleveland Clinic’s Florida region.  
• Herbert C. Hoover, Jr., MD, trained in general and thoracic surgery at the Harvard Medical School's Massachusetts General Hospital and in cancer surgery at the National Cancer Institute at the NIH in Bethesda, MD.