Ambrx, Inc., a research and development company transforming protein therapeutics through the incorporation of new amino acid building blocks, announced today that John W. Wallen, III, Ph.D., J.D. has joined the company as Vice President, Intellectual Property. Dr. Wallen will be responsible for the design, development, and defense of Ambrx’s intellectual property portfolio as the company applies its technology to the creation of the next generation of protein therapeutics.

Prior to joining Ambrx, Dr. Wallen was a partner in the Technology / Intellectual Property and Patent Litigation practices at Preston Gates & Ellis LLP in San Diego. At Preston Gates, Dr. Wallen counseled clients on a broad range of issues, including patent prosecution, licensing, freedom to operate analysis and intellectual property litigation. Prior to entering private practice, Dr. Wallen was in-house patent counsel to both Merck & Co., Inc. and Johnson & Johnson. Prior to becoming a patent attorney, he was a scientist in the Cancer Research Department of Merck & Co., Inc. Dr. Wallen received a J.D. from Seton Hall Law School, a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.S. degree in clinical microbiology from Long Island University and a B.S. degree in Biology from the State University of New York.

“We are delighted to have John Wallen join us,” said Troy Wilson, Chief Business Officer. “His experience as a scientist and as an accomplished intellectual property attorney in the biopharmaceutical industry adds valuable insight and strategic perspective to the Ambrx team.”

“Ambrx possesses intellectual property broadly covering the in vivo incorporation of non-native amino acids into proteins,” said John Wallen. “The technology has immediate application to a number of valuable therapeutic proteins, and I am extremely pleased to be a part of the Ambrx team to advance the field of protein biosynthesis and create new biopharmaceuticals.”

About Ambrx
Ambrx is a research and development company committed to transforming the science of proteins and creating the future of healthcare. Ambrx is fundamentally redefining biotherapeutics through its ability to incorporate new amino acid building blocks into proteins. These new amino acids permit Ambrx to introduce new functionalities (e.g., polymers, cytotoxic agents, drugs, carrier proteins and glycosylation sites) efficiently and site-selectively into biosynthetic proteins. Enabling a breadth of scientific opportunities and the creation of significant intellectual property, Ambrx is focused on development of the next generation of protein-based drugs, to offer enhanced potency, less frequent dosing, alternative manufacturing formats, and advantages with regard to intellectual property.

For more information, please contact Troy Wilson, Ph.D., J.D., Ambrx’s Chief Business Officer, at (858) 731-3542 or visit www.ambrx.com.