Immunetics, Inc. Names John Yonkin as CEO
BOSTON, MA — November 26, 2012 — Bacterial contamination of platelets is the greatest infectious risk of blood transfusion today — and preventing it has become a priority for transfusion safety.
Mr. Yonkin will assume the post of CEO effective December 1, 2012. He will also serve as a member of the Board of Directors.
Mr. Yonkin brings more than 25 years of business experience in the clinical diagnostics field to Immunetics. Previously, he served as Vice President for Strategic Projects at Alere, Inc., and as President of Alere’s predecessor, Inverness Medical Innovations. While at Alere, he was the lead executive responsible for the integration of Biosite, Inc., following its acquisition by Alere in 2007. At Inverness, Mr. Yonkin was President of Nutritionals and Pharmaceuticals from 2005-2007, and Vice President of U.S. Sales and Marketing from 2001-2005. His previous experience includes positions managing sales and marketing and product development at Baxter, Genzyme, and Inverness.
"I am very excited to be joining the very talented scientific team at Immunetics as the company prepares to bring to market the innovative BacTx® rapid test for bacterial contamination of platelets," Mr. Yonkin said.
The BacTx test addresses a critical, global infectious risk in transfusion, caused by the estimated 1 in 2,000 platelet units that are contaminated with bacteria. Medical studies are increasingly showing that such contamination is a significant cause of illness and death among transfusion recipients. Worldwide, more than 10 million platelet units are collected per year.
Immunetics received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for its BacTx test in June 2012. The company has issued patents on the BacTx technology, which was initially developed with support from the National Institutes of Health.
Mr. Yonkin succeeds Dr. Andrew Levin, the company’s founder. Dr. Levin will remain President at Immunetics and will continue to lead the Research and Development group..
About Immunetics
Immunetics Inc. offers state-of-the-art assay technology for infectious disease diagnosis and blood screening, and for more than ten years has been a leading innovator of tests for bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases. The produces and markets a range of infectious disease assay kits and instruments. The company has issued patents on its BacTx® test for bacterial contamination of platelets. It has developed and markets other FDA-cleared products, including a test for Lyme disease, and is actively working on new tests for Babesiosis and Chagas disease — both of which are emerging risks to the blood supply. Immunetics is headquartered in Boston. The company’s mission is to deliver better, cost-efficient care through more accurate diagnosis. For more information, visit the Immunetics website at www.immunetics.com.