Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that Mr. Simon X. Benito, former Merck Vaccines executive, has been appointed Chairman of Inovio's Board of Directors, replacing Dr. Avtar Dhillon who is retiring from the Board after 10 years of service. Dr. Dhillon was initially appointed as Chairman of the Board in 2009 in conjunction with the merger between Inovio Biomedical and VGX Pharmaceuticals with a mandate to provide continuity and strategic guidance during its integration. Effective immediately, Mr. Benito will assume the role of Chairman. In addition to the appointment of Mr. Benito, Inovio welcomes Ms. Lota Zoth to the company's Board of Directors. Lota Zoth has held senior financial roles in a variety of commercial-stage companies, including serving as MedImmune's chief financial officer. Prior to joining MedImmune, Ms. Zoth served in financial executive roles with PSINet Inc., Sodexho Marriott Services, Inc., Marriott International and PepsiCo, Inc. Ms. Zoth was also an auditor at Ernst & Young, LLP and is a Certified Public Accountant.