Dr. Dino Dina (born 1946)

Dr. Dino Dina, M.D. served as the CEO of Dynavax Technologies Corporation from May 1998 to May 1, 2013. Dr. Dina has served as President of Dynavax Technologies Corporation since May 1997.

He joined Dynavax Technologies Corporation in 1997, Dr. Dina was an employee of Chiron Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company. At Chiron, Dr. Dina held a series of positions with increasing responsibility. He ultimately served as President at Chiron Vaccines (formerly Biocine Company), which he directed from its inception in 1987.

Under Dr. Dina’s direction, Chiron Vaccines received the first-ever approval for an adjuvanted influenza vaccine in Italy, successfully completed the development of the first genetically engineered pertussis vaccine, and conducted clinical trials for vaccines to prevent HIV, herpes simplex type II, cytomegalovirus and hepatitis B infections.

The virology group he directed was responsible for several key scientific findings, including the discovery, cloning and sequencing of the hepatitis C virus and the cloning and sequencing of the viral genomes for HIV and hepatitis A viruses. Prior to joining Chiron, Dr. Dina was employed at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York, as an assistant professor of genetics from 1977 to 1982.

He was a Director of Symphony Dynamo, Inc and was an Executive Director at Dynavax Technologies Corporation from May 1997 to October 2014. He received his M.D. from the University of Genova Medical School in Italy.

Has patents with Nancy Haigwood

https://patentdocs.typepad.com/files/novartis-v-medimmune.pdf

THIS IS A BIG PATENT

https://patents.google.com/patent/US5688688A/en

https://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/15/business/what-s-new-in-vaccines-custom-tailored-for-immunity-without-side-effects.html?searchResultPosition=4

1988-05-15-nytimes-what-s-new-in-vaccines-custom-tailored-for-immunity-without-side-effects.pdf

WHAT'S NEW IN VACCINES

WHAT'S NEW IN VACCINES;

Custom Tailored' for Immunity Without Side Effects

By Gordon Graff

May 15, 1988

THE new generation of genetically engineered vaccines, unlike their earlier counterparts, does not contain live or killed disease organisms, which have been linked to side effects. Instead, they make use of only portions of infectious organisms, like surface proteins called antigens, which arouse immunity but seldom cause side effects.

But while gene-splicing techniques would seem to open the door to a flood of new tailor-made vaccines, success of these products is not guaranteed. For one thing, lingering fears of side effects, as well as consumer apathy, could keep demand down. ''All the proof in the world that a vaccine is safe and effective may not matter if people are reluctant to line up for their shots,'' said Mr. Rotheim, the market researcher.

A case in point, he noted, is the hepatitis B vaccine, on the market for two years. The biggest group of recipients of the vaccine, Mr. Rotheim said, have been scientists and health care workers exposed to the hepatitis virus. But intravenous drug users and homosexuals, who are also at high risk for the disease, he said, have been comparatively under-represented among recipients.

Then there is the potential for patent squabbles. In the case of the gene-spliced hepatitis B vaccine, for instance, Biogen, a Cambridge, Mass., biotechnology company, believes its recently awarded patent on certain aspects of the vaccine technology is broad enough to cover production processes used by SmithKline Beckman and Merck. Biogen, in fact, reached a licensing agreement last month with SmithKline Beckman entitling it to continue to make and sell the vaccine in return for royalties.

Regarding Merck, David M. Konys, group product manager of Biogen, said, ''It's obvious they have been infringing on our patent.'' Still, he added, ''it's not inevitable that there's going to be a court battle.'' For Merck's part, a company spokesman said, ''We're confident of our patent position and our ability to continue to sell'' the vaccine. Nonetheless, he too hinted that negotiations are possible, citing Merck's long history of paying royalties to outsiders.

Despite the potential for soft demand and patent disputes, promising new vaccines are still stirring on the horizon. For example, the Chiron Corporation, a small concern that helped develop the hepatitis B vaccine technology used in the Merck product, is trying to bioengineer a vaccine for genital herpes.

Animal tests with the antigen are encouraging, reports Dino Dina, director of virology at Chiron. ''We can not only prevent acute infection but the establishment of chronic infection,'' he says. Right now, Chiron is preparing to apply to the Food and Drug Administration for permission to test its herpes vaccine in humans. If the product is successful, Mr. Dina noted, it would be marketed as a joint venture with Ciba-Geigy.