MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Vigilant Biosciences, Inc., developer of the rinse and spit screening test for the early detection of oral cancer, today announced the appointment of Jonathan Jack Lord, M.D. to its Board of Directors. Dr. Lord is nationally recognized for his role in improving healthcare through innovation in medical practice, business leadership, government and higher education.

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Lord to our Board of Directors and look forward to his counsel as we bring our innovative product to market, said Vigilant Biosciences founder and Chairman Matthew H.J. Kim, J.D. His experience and leadership across the spectrum of healthcare organizations will help the company to positively impact lives through the successful commercialization of our products.

The oral cancer product under development by Vigilant Biosciences represents todays model for bringing new technologies to market in response to critical, unmet needs, said Dr. Lord. Early detection of cancer is the best tool to fight this debilitating disease, while also eliminating unnecessary and burdensome testing by ruling out false positives.

Dr. Lord currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Dexcom, as a Director at Stericycle, and serves on advisory boards for Serco PLC (UK), Anthelio Health and Third Rock Ventures. He has earned certificates in Governance and Audit from the Harvard Business School. A nationally recognized leader in innovations in health care, Dr. Lord became the University of Miamis Chief Innovation Officer when he returned to his alma mater after three decades in healthcare leadership roles, in September 2011. In March 2012, he was named Chief Operating Officer of the Miller School of Medicine and UHealth-University of Miami Health System. He completed a financial turnaround of the Miller School and continues to serve today as a Professor of Pathology. A board-certified forensic pathologist who began his medical career in the U.S. Navy and later served as Chief Operating Officer of the American Hospital Association and several biotech companies, Dr. Lord served as the CEO for Navigenics, Inc. following his tenure as the former Chief Innovation Officer and senior vice president of Humana. During his time at Humana, he created Humanas Innovation Center, which combines research, technology and consumer experience to promote health and well-being. He also contributed to the field of predictive sciences by using advanced analytics to predict who will become ill in the future and how to prevent disease. Further cementing his ties to UM, he oversaw the creation of the UM/Humana Health Resources Center on the Miller School campus in 2006. Dr. Lord also serves or has served as a member of a number of prestigious boards and organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Advisory Committee to the Director; the National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality, which advises the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services; and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations. He was a member of the Presidents Council at UM, an advisory group of some of the University's most prominent alumni. His previous academic appointments include Dartmouth Medical School, George Washington University and the Eastern Virginia School of Medicine. More information for the Board of Directors for Vigilant may be found at http://www.vigilantbiosciences.com/people.html.

Vigilants product, which is under development, consists of a low-cost, oral cancer-specific oral rinse test strip that provides an immediate and simple color change in the presence of certain levels of proteins clinically proven to be associated with early-onset of oral cancer typically before a lesion is visually detected with a screening aid. Dental offices and public health screening facilities are seen as primary initial markets for the technology. The test can be applied to everyone, with particular emphasis on tobacco users, people who consume alcohol and people with human papillomavirus (HPV), and initially represents an approximately $600 million U.S. market opportunity and a multibillion dollar opportunity worldwide. The background intellectual property for the test was developed at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine by Elizabeth Franzmann, M.D., Associate Professor of Otolaryngology and under exclusive license to Vigilant.

About 42,000 new cases in the U.S. and 640,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with oral cancer each year with more than half of those patients dying from the disease within 5 years of diagnosis due to late-stage diagnosis and intervention. Oral cancer treatment options include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

About Vigilant Biosciences, Inc.

Vigilant Biosciences, Inc. is a medical technology company enabling early intervention to improve outcomes. The companys initial product development initiatives are aimed at overcoming the oral cancer challenge - identifying more cancers at an earlier stage and thereby improving overall survival rates while minimizing healthcare costs. For more information, visit http://www.vigilantbiosciences.com.

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Jonathan “Jack” Lord, M.D., Named to Vigilant Biosciences Board of Directors