Stamford, CT, October 4, 2023 – ApiJect Systems, Corp. (“ApiJect”), a medical technology public-benefit corporation, announced today that Dr. Heidi J. Larson has joined the company as Senior Advisor, Global Health Strategy. Dr. Larson’s focus will further ApiJect’s mission to make injectable medicines safe and accessible to everyone through the development of high-impact partnerships in the global health community and by advising company leadership on strategic opportunities worldwide.
Dr. Larson is best known for groundbreaking research that advances the medical, scientific, social, and political understanding of vaccine hesitancy. She has engaged in effective advocacy for better health education and policies by building consensus and critical partnerships that influence health interventions and shape policies. She is the Founder and Director of The Vaccine Confidence Project, which since 2010 has worked throughout the world to overcome vaccine hesitancy.
She has published extensively on the topic, including her book, STUCK: How Vaccine Rumors Start—and Why They Don’t Go Away. She maintains a professorship in Anthropology, Risk, and Decision Science at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, combined with a Clinical Professor position at the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington. Her leadership roles and accolades include selection as one of the BBC’s 100 Women of 2021 and spearheading global immunization communication at the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), her service as past chair of Gavi’s Advocacy Task Force, and notable contributions to the World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts Working Group on Vaccine Hesitancy.
ApiJect Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jay Walker, commented: “We are privileged to have Dr. Larsen join our team. Her leadership and expertise are widely recognized in the global health community. Her research and findings have impacted significantly how global medicine responds to vaccine hesitancy both in less developed nations as well as nations more economically advanced.”
Mr. Walker continued: “Dr. Larson’s critical eye for evidence-informed strategies, her vast network of accomplished health professionals, and her deep capacity for thinking creatively and strategically will help ApiJect realize its mission to make injectable medicines accessible for both ongoing treatment and bio-emergencies.
Dr. Larson commented: “I am thrilled to join a company that is well-positioned to transform how injectable medicines and immunizations are manufactured and safely accessed and administered. The COVID-19 Pandemic highlighted the sharp inequities in the Global South, and in disadvantaged communities domestically, and it highlighted the fragility of the global supply chain. ApiJect’s Platform is poised to make systemic changes globally, and I’m excited to support and be part of their efforts.”
Ed Kelley, PhD, ApiJect Chief Global Health Officer, stated: “Dr. Larson has the expertise and track record that inspires each and every member of our team. Her contributions to global health significantly enhance the strides that ApiJect has made in this area. Her visionary leadership in global health intervention and policies align seamlessly with our vision of the ApiJect Platform as an essential component in addressing access to sterile liquid pharmaceuticals. With her in our corner, ApiJect will move faster and with greater confidence as we seek to bring our innovative platform to markets, nations, and patients worldwide.”
ABOUT APIJECT SYSTEMS, CORP.
ApiJect Systems, Corp. is a public-benefit medical technology company working to bring prefilled, single-dose injections to more people in every market around the world. The ApiJect Platform enables pharmaceutical and biotech companies to design scalable prefilled injectors and efficiently fill-finish them with their injectable drug products. This can be done either on one of their own ApiJect-licensed Blow-Fill-Seal packaging lines or at one of our world-class manufacturing partners.
Learn more at www.apiject.com or contact Steve Hofman at [email protected]
