Inovio (Nasdaq:INO) announced today that it appointed Dr. Michael Sumner as its new chief medical officer (CMO).

Sumner will oversee Inovio’s clinical-stage pipeline of DNA medicines, global clinical development, clinical operations and biostatistics efforts, along with regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance and medical affairs.

He will also serve on the company’s executive leadership team and report to President and CEO Dr. Jacqueline Shea in his role at the Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania-based developer of vaccines and vaccine delivery technology.

“Inovio is pleased to welcome Dr. Sumner to Inovio,” Shea said in a news release. “An industry veteran and a member of the Royal College of Physicians, Dr. Sumner’s clinical development and medical affairs expertise and track record of helping guide companies through regulatory approval and commercialization make him an important addition to the Inovio team.”

Sumner has served as CMO at Orexo AB since 2013, having previously held a range of European- and U.S.-based leadership roles at Novartis, Aventis Behring, Novo Nordisk and Shire Pharmaceuticals.

He holds more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, medical and clinical fields, driving numerous late-stage produce approvals and supporting successful commercial products on a global basis across several therapeutic areas, Inovio said.

“I am pleased to join Inovio as CMO and look forward to working with the team to unlock the power of the DNA medicines platform to address unmet medical need,” Sumner said.