VGX Animal Health

Mr. Rassas has over 30 years of pharmaceutical industry experience, including senior level general management responsibility for several major international markets with Wyeth and Searle. He has a strong strategic and operational focus with a proven track record of delivering solid revenue growth and bottom line results. Mr. Rassas has played a major role in the integration of large and complex businesses and has instituted numerous programs to improve operating efficiencies. His background includes significant experience in International Operations, P&L Management, Strategic Planning, Business Development, Finance and Administration, New Product Introductions, Joint Ventures, Project Management, and Human Resources.

Mr. Rassas received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA in Finance from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Ruxandra Draghia-Akli, M.D., Ph.D., Vice President

Ruxandra Draghia-Akli, M.D., PhD currently serves as the Vice President of Research at VGX Animal Health. With 15 years of experience, she is recognized as a global leader in the field of DNA delivery for therapeutic and vaccination applications. She was the co-founder of ADViSYS,Inc., recently acquired by VGX Pharmaceuticals, developing the first plasmid-mediated growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) supplementation. Dr. Draghia’s research activities have focused on plasmid design, gene expression and muscle-specific promoter/enhancer fragments and DNA sequences that allow for the efficient expression of either secreted or intracellular proteins for gene therapy and vaccination. Throughout her career, Dr. Draghia has published numerous scientific papers and reviews in the areas of electroporation, plasmid components for optimum transgene expression, GHRH, IGF-I and their effects on pituitary development, immune stimulation, health, and well-being. Dr. Draghia-Akli also serves as an ad hoc reviewer for granting agencies, such as European Union, USDA and NIH, annual meeting for gene therapy and endocrinology societies, and manuscripts for numerous journals.

Dr. Draghia received an M.D. from Carol Davilla Medical School and a Ph.D. in human genetics from Romanian Academy of Medical Sciences. Dr. Draghia also completed post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Rene Descartes and the Baylor College of Medicine. She has held an adjunct faculty position at BCM.

Thomas S. Kim, J.D., Senior Director, Intellectual Property

Mr. Kim is an experienced patent attorney, having worked for both large Intellectual Property law firms and Fortune 500 companies. Most recently, Mr. Kim served as Senior Counsel to the gene discovery group at DuPont Company, where he provided legal counsel on a variety of patent issues and drafted and prosecuted patent applications related to DNA molecules and transgenic organisms. In private practice, most recently with the national firm of Woodcock Washburn, Mr. Kim counseled clients ranging from start-up to Fortune 50 companies on various chemical, pharmaceutical and biotech patent matters.

Mr. Kim received a J.D. from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, a M.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois, and a B.S. in Chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Mr. Kim is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, State of Illinois, and is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Patricia Brown, D.V.M., Ph.D., Director, Clinical Research & Development

Dr. Brown has worked in the area of Veterinary Medicine for over 40 years. Dr. Brown obtained her BS in Animal Science and PhD in Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Minnesota and a DVM from the Ontario Veterinary College.

She began her career as a qualified medical laboratory scientist working with veterinarians and scientist, first at the Veterinary College in Cambridge England, and later at the Ontario Veterinary College. She later was employed by a primary breeder of turkeys to design and run a microbiology and serology testing laboratory required for their Mycoplasma meleagridis eradication program. She was promoted to Director of Health programs and Technical Services which involved customer relations, trouble shooting, and technical services in Eastern and Western Europe, North and South America while administering the Mycoplasma meleagridis eradication program.

After graduation she worked in a Small Animal Practice and then joined a veterinary diagnostic and animal health company in Minnesota where she was promoted to Director of Technical Services. Dr. Brown developed clinic-based microbiology systems for use in swine, dairy and small animals and managed the Diagnostic Tissue, Serology and Mastitis Laboratory. In addition she contracted and administered a FSIS $3+ million program for data collection in processing plants for the FDA’s, FSIS HIMP Program.

In 2002 Dr. Brown joined ADViSYS (now VGX Animal Health) and as Director of Clinical Services provided professional veterinary services in support of clinical trials and other studies involving animals for the development of the company’s products and research and development. She supervised and assured the integrity of studies and clinical trials involving companion and food animals for the company and its licensees. She is familiar with the regulatory agency requirements and guidelines for the conduct of clinical studies, (cGLP, cGCP and cGMP), and has contributed to submissions to these regulatory agencies.

Dr. Brown is co-inventor on a number of the GHRH and gene delivery system patents in the VGX Animal Health portfolio. She is also the author of numerous peer-reviewed scientific papers.

Dr. Brown brings a unique set of experience and skills to VGX Animal Health which enables her to guide products from scientific discovery through application for the health and well being of food and companion animals worldwide.

Rodney A. Bowling, Ph.D., Research Scientist

Mr. Dr. Bowling has over 10 years of experience in the field of molecular biology and transgenesis of plant, animal, and tissue culture models. His graduate work included research in arthritis, vasculoneogenesis related to tumor growth, and heart development and disease. As a graduate student in the lab of Dr. Robert Schwartz, who co-invented VGX Animal Health's current portfolio of intellectual property and technology at the Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Bowling characterized a novel cardiac enhancer region within 3'-Un Translated Region (UTR) of the Serum Response Factor (Srf) gene, thereby providing a model to understanding how various T-Box transcription factor proteins interact to modulate expression of Srf and through Srf cardiac development. In previous lab work, Dr. Bowling worked on a research project that may establish a novel purpose for the expression of the protein LPP3 in cancer growth and metastasis through its role in signaling for angiogenesis. Prior to that time he screened genomic libraries, created gene-targeting constructs, and maintained and genotyped a mouse colony. Dr. Bowling has also worked on two gene-targeting projects, PrP knockout and ScP-2 knockout. He was responsible for pre- and postoperative procedures on test animals, swine and rodent, and for supervision of student workers.

Dr. Bowling earned a BS in Genetics from Texas A & M University and his Ph.D. in Medical Science from Texas A & M University Health Science Center Institute of Bioscience and Technology.