It was reported yesterday that NanoViricides Inc (NYSE Amer: NNVC), a leader in developing novel nanomedicines to treat viral diseases, has named James Sapirstein as the Independent Director to its Board of Directors.

Sapirstein will join the Board as of 1 November 2018, and will also become a member of the Board's Audit Committee, Nomination Committee, and Compensation Committee.

In addition, the Board has also appointed Dr Irach Taraporewala, CEO, as a Member of the Board.

Sapirstein has more than 35 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He has held various roles in small and big pharmaceutical companies, including as CEO for multiple small companies. He has also served and is presently serving as a Director of multiple pharmaceutical companies and of pharmaceutical industry associations. He has been part of almost two dozen drug product launches and specifically either led or has been a key member of several HIV product launches into different new classes of therapeutics at the time.

He stated his career in 1984 with big pharmaceutical companies. Joining Eli Lilly in Sales; moving on to Hoffmann-LaRoche in 1987 where he served for almost a decade as part of its commercial teams in the USA and abroad, rising to become a Product Director; and thereafter at Bristol Myers Squibb as the Director of International Marketing in the Infectious Diseases group in 1996. While at BMS, he worked on several important HIV/AIDS projects including Secure the Future.