Vaxxas has appointed former Merck Global Vaccines president David Peacock as chief executive officer (CEO), marking a step in the company’s transition from clinical validation to commercialisation of its high density microarray patch vaccination technology.
Announced in Brisbane and Cambridge, the appointment positions Peacock to lead the commercial rollout of Vaxxas’ proprietary HD MAP platform, which is designed to improve how vaccines are manufactured, distributed and administered globally.
Peacock brings more than 25 years of global vaccine and pharmaceutical leadership to the role, most recently serving as president of Merck Global Vaccines and president of MSD Asia Pacific.
His career spans senior commercial, operational and financial roles across Japan, the United States, Europe and Asia. He has also served on a range of boards and industry bodies, including the US ASEAN Business Council, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Vaxxas chair Sarah Meibusch said the appointment aligns with the company’s near-term pathway to market and broader growth strategy.
“David’s appointment marks a clear inflection point for Vaxxas as we move from clinical validation towards commercial execution,” Meibusch said. “He brings unmatched global vaccine commercialisation experience at precisely the moment the HD-MAP technology is transitioning from proof-of-concept to a scalable delivery platform with the potential to materially improve how vaccines are manufactured, distributed and administered worldwide.”
Meibusch said the HD MAP technology offers pharmaceutical partners a differentiated self-delivery option that can enhance existing vaccine franchises, extend lifecycle value and address challenges around cold-chain logistics, dose efficiency and access.
Peacock said he is energised by the potential of the technology to reshape vaccine delivery and access.
“Over the course of my career, I have seen first-hand the limitations of conventional vaccine delivery technologies in both developed, and developing, healthcare systems,” he said. “I believe Vaxxas’ HD-MAP technology has the potential to fundamentally reshape vaccine access, distribution, and administration.”
Vaxxas recently secured a manufacturing licence from the Therapeutic Goods Administration for HD MAP vaccine products at its Brisbane biomedical facility, a milestone that materially de-risks the path to commercial supply.
The licence follows the installation of the company’s first robotic lines for aseptic manufacture, enabling scalable, GMP-compliant production.
Peacock will also join the Vaxxas board as an executive director, as the company builds momentum towards scaled manufacture and broader deployment of its technology.
