Virpax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. appointed Gerald Bruce as new CEO

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.


On November 15, 2023, Virpax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the "Company") accepted the resignation of Anthony P. Mack as Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") and Chair of the Board of Directors (the "Board") of the Company effective November 17, 2023. The resignation was not related to any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to its operations, policies or practices.


On November 15, 2023, the Company's Board appointed Gerald Bruce as CEO and Dr. Eric Floyd as Chair of the Board, effective as of November 20, 2023. Dr. Floyd also serves as Chair of the Compensation Committee.


Gerald Bruce, age 67, has served as the Company's Executive Vice President of Commercial Operations Officer since August 2017, as a member of the Company's Board since July 2021 and as the President and CEO of the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Novvae Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since July 26, 2023. Mr. Bruce has spent over 30 years, in the Pharmaceutical and Medical Nutrition industry, including 20 years in senior leadership roles. He started his career in May 1983 at Johnson & Johnson Inc. where he was an award-winning sales representative and held leadership positions of increasing responsibility in sales and marketing ending with his role as Group Product Director of Analgesics in September 1998. From September 1998 to November 2000, he served as Vice President of Sales at Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. ("Bristol-Myers") where he led the Cardiovascular and Metabolic sales force. From November 2000 to January 2006, he served as Vice President of Managed Markets where he led the team responsible for the development and implementation of the reimbursement strategy for Bristol-Myers' US portfolio. From January 2006 to June 2008, Mr. Bruce was the Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations at NitroMed, Inc. where he was responsible for building the commercial strategy and led the team responsible for the development and implementation of the commercial plan for the start-up company's first product for the treatment of heart failure. From April 2009 to November 2018, Mr. Bruce served as Vice President of Sales for Nutricia North America, Danone Medical Nutrition Division. Mr. Bruce currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Lincoln University and is a board member for the National Sales Network. He received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Lincoln University and a master's degree in Leadership from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.


Dr. Eric Floyd, age 61, has served as a member of the Company's Board since January 2017. Dr. Floyd currently serves as Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs & Quality Assurance at Silence Therapeutics. He has more than 21 years of regulatory experience within the pharmaceutical industry. Most recently, from November 2018 to December 2019 he was Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, for Axovant Sciences. Prior to that, he served as President of Compliance Services and Chief Scientific Officer at Dohmen Life Science Services, Inc. from June 2015, Senior Vice President, U.S. Regulatory Affairs and Clinical Quality Compliance at Lundbeck Inc. from December 2011, Global Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Hospira Inc. (later acquired by Pfizer Inc.) from January 2010, Vice President of Worldwide Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance at Cephalon Inc. (later acquired by Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd.) from January 2007 and VP and Global Head of Respiratory, Dermatology, and Tropical Medicines Drug Regulatory Affairs at Novartis AG from February 2005 until April 2007. Dr. Floyd has also held senior leadership roles at Bristol Myers Squibb Co., Aventis Pharma and Merck Research Laboratories (a division of Merck & Co.). Dr. Floyd received a Ph.D. in Neurophysiology from Meharry Medical College, Nashville, an executive MBA from St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia, an MS from Tennessee State University, a BS from the University of Illinois and has served as an Assistant Professor at Harvard University School of Medicine. Dr. Floyd served as an outside director on the board of directors of Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc. from April 2014 to November 2016. 


The Company has not yet determined Mr. Bruce's compensation for serving as Chief Executive Officer nor if any additional compensation will be paid to Dr. Floyd for serving as Chair of the Board.


1