Vaxess Adds RA Capital Management Founding Partner Peter Kolchinsky to Board of Directors

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., August 12, 2024 — Vaxess Technologies, Inc., a life sciences company developing a novel

transdermal patch technology to transform home delivery of therapies and vaccines, today announced that Peter Kolchinsky, PhD, co-founder and managing partner at RA Capital Management, has joined Vaxess’s board of directors.

“The benefits of Vaxess’s technology go well beyond addressing the very common and real fear that many of us have of needles,” said Kolchinsky. “Imagine if important medicines like GLP-1s could be administered via a once-weekly patch that you apply to your skin and throw away after a few minutes, with no need for a sharps container or refrigeration. In the case of vaccines, imagine getting a booster patch sent in the mail, sparing you from having to travel to a clinic for a shot. Vaxess is truly reimagining what a transdermal patch can do.”

Kolchinsky is active in both public and private investments in companies developing drugs, medical devices, diagnostics, and research tools and serves on the boards of publicly- and privately-held life science companies. He is the author of “The Great American Drug Deal” and “The Entrepreneur’s Guide to a Biotech Startup,” and frequently writes and speaks on the future of biotechnology innovation. He also founded and serves as a Director of No Patient Left Behind, a non-profit advocating for healthcare reforms that would make today's medicines affordable to patients and promote the innovation that gives all of us hope for tomorrow. 

“Peter is one of the world’s most prolific supporters of biotech startups,” said Rachel Sha, CEO of Vaxess. “He understands that the growth and success of this industry translates into better health outcomes for society as a whole. As a member of our board, Peter will provide invaluable guidance as Vaxess works towards commercializing the MIMIX patch for a range of vaccines and therapeutics.” 

Kolchinsky is joining Vaxess’s board during a time of significant growth for the company. Vaxess has recently demonstrated feasibility of GLP-1 delivery, and partnered with leading biopharma companies in vaccines (mRNA and non-mRNA). Additionally, in the first half of 2024, Vaxess raised $12 million to advance GLP-1, continue in vivo work with mRNA, and expand manufacturing process capabilities in support of new partnerships.

About RA Capital Management

RA Capital Management is a multi-stage investment manager dedicated to evidence-based investing in public and private healthcare, life sciences, and planetary health companies. RA Capital forms and funds innovative companies, from private seed rounds to public follow-on financings, allowing management teams to drive value creation from inception through commercialization. RA Capital's knowledge engine is guided by our Tech Atlas internal research division, and RAVen, RA Capital's in-house company creation engine, offers experienced entrepreneurs a collaborative and comprehensive platform to explore the novel and the re-imagined.

About Vaxess

Vaxess Technologies is transforming home delivery of next generation therapies and vaccines.

Vaxess's MIMIX™ platform combines a proprietary transdermal patch and applicator, capable of delivering a wide range of therapies and vaccines. Advanced biomaterials used for the dissolvable microarray tips enable the greatest levels of dose delivery control, and can be modified to deliver different payloads. Additionally, Vaxess’s MIMIX patch does not require refrigeration, enabling delivery to low resource settings.

Vaxess has raised grant and venture capital funding from groups such as RA Capital Management, Engine Ventures, GHIC, Mission BioCapital, BARDA, DARPA, NIH, NSF and the Gates Foundation. The company has also generated strong clinical and in-vivo proof of concept in the MIMIX platform with a wide range of molecules. For more information, please visit the company website at www.vaxess.com or send additional inquiries to contact@vaxess.com.