IPM Appoints New Board Members and New Chair and Vice-Chair

Rajat Gupta, David Kessler and Anjali Nayyar join, expanding the range of expertise and international reach.

Silver Spring, MD -- The International Partnership for Microbicides (IPM) announces today the appointments of Mr. Rajat Kumar Gupta, Dr. David Kessler and Ms. Anjali Nayyar to IPM’s Board of Directors and the election of Dr. Els Borst-Eilers and Dr. Alex G. Coutinho as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively.

IPM is increasing its Board membership as the organization grows, expanding from five Board members in 2002, to nine in 2003 and now to 12 members in 2005. This increase at the leadership level allows IPM to deepen its expertise in drug regulatory processes, the private sector and marketing as well as to broaden representation across several regions globally.

“IPM and the microbicide field are fortunate to have these outstanding individuals join us in accelerating the development and delivery of a safe and effective microbicide,” said Dr. Zeda F. Rosenberg, Chief Executive Officer of IPM. “Their collective talent brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our Board and to the entire microbicide field.”

Dr. Els Borst-Eilers succeeds Dr. Mahmoud Fathalla, as Chair of the Board. Dr. Borst-Eilers is the former Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport and Deputy Prime Minister in the Netherlands (1994-2002). She has served on the Board since 2002.

“I am honored to follow Mahmoud Fathalla as Chair of the Board,” said Dr. Borst-Eilers. “Since IPM’s inception, Mahmoud has led the development and growth of this important organization and has set it on a course for success. We look forward to his continued input as a member of the Board.”

“It is with great confidence that I hand over the gavel to Dr. Borst-Eilers,” said Dr. Fathalla. “She brings a unique combination of leadership experience and passion to this stewardship role. I have every assurance that her leadership will guide IPM in meeting its mission to develop and deliver an HIV-preventing microbicide for women.”

Dr. Alex G. Coutinho, Vice Chair, is Executive Director of TASO, the AIDS Service Organization of Uganda, the largest AIDS care and support organization in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Coutinho has served on the IPM Board of Directors since 2003.

New board member, Mr. Rajat Gupta is Senior Partner Worldwide of McKinsey & Company based in Stamford, Connecticut. Since joining the firm, Mr. Gupta has directed a number of projects aimed at helping companies develop new product/market strategies and reorganize for improved effectiveness and operations capabilities.

Also joining the board is Dr. David Kessler, who is the dean of the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. Dr. Kessler, formerly dean of the Yale Medical School and commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration from November 1990 until March 1997, was appointed by President George H.W. Bush and reappointed by President Bill Clinton.

Ms. Anjali Nayyar is the India Country Director for the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, where she oversees an extensive program of advocacy, constituency building, policy development, and preparation for clinical trials and access related to AIDS vaccines.

Changes on the Board of Directors also include the departure of Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, the former Prime Minister of Norway and former Director-General of the World Health Organization, who announced her retirement at the last meeting in December 2004.

Incumbent members of the board who continue to provide guidance and direction for IPM include Board Secretary Dr. Henry Gabelnick, Director of CONRAD; Dr. Quarraisha Abdool Karim, Director of the Columbia Southern African Fogarty International HIV/AIDS Training and Research Programme; Dr. Mahmoud Fathalla, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Assiut University; Dr. Seth Harrison, Managing General Partner at Apple Tree Partners; Dr. Argeris N. (Jerry) Karabelas, Partner at Care Capital; Dr. Hélène Rossert-Blavier, Director General of AIDES; and Dr. Zeda Rosenberg, CEO of IPM.

About IPM

The International Partnership for Microbicides was established in 2002 to accelerate the development and accessibility of microbicides to prevent transmission of HIV. The organization's goal is to improve the efficiency of all efforts to deliver a safe and effective microbicide as soon as possible.