San Diego-based Inovio Biomedical said this week that it has tapped a Merck veteran for its new Chief Medical Officer. According to Inovio, it has hired on mark L. Bagarazzi, M.D>, as Chief Medical Officer heading up worldwide clinical development and regulatory activities for the firm. Bagarazzi was previously Director of Worlddwide Regulatory Affairs for vaccines and Biologics at Merck & Co., and its ZOSTAVAX vaccine, and previously served at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. Inovio is developing DNA vaccine design products targeted at influenza, HIV, other infectious diseases and cancers.