The New Standard for Infectious Disease Vaccines
The New Standard for Infectious Disease Vaccines
Meet Vaxxirna
Vaxxirna is a biotechnology company developing next-generation infectious disease vaccines using its proprietary viRNA™ circular RNA platform. Our team brings deep expertise across RNA biology, immunology, vaccinology, infectious disease, regulatory strategy, and global health, united by a shared commitment to building vaccines that are durable, practical, and deployable in the real world.
Vaxxirna was founded to address key limitations associated with first-generation linear mRNA approaches, including limited durability of antigen expression, tolerability challenges, and cold-chain logistic dependence. Our programs span urgent infectious disease threats facing global health need.
The breadth of Vaxxirna technology enables rapid design, scalable manufacturing, with delivery options that include patient-friendly administration via microneedle patch. This integrated approach is designed to accelerate development timelines while maintaining a consistent technology foundation across programs.
Executive Team
Peter Weinstein, Ph.D., J.D.
Acting Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
Dr. Peter Weinstein is an accomplished biotech executive, registered patent attorney, and co-founder. Peter brings over 35 years of experience in immunology, intellectual property, and business leadership. As CEO and Board Member, he guides Circurna’s strategy, leads a robust IP pipeline, and guides multidisciplinary teams from innovation to commercialization. Previously, Peter managed global IP portfolios for major therapeutics at Baxter Healthcare and advised hundreds of biotech companies as founder of Entralta, P.L.L.C. His dual expertise ensures that Circurna’s innovations are both pioneering and well-protected, strengthening the company’s competitive position in RNA therapeutics.
Robert Rickert, Ph.D.
Acting Chief Scientific Officer
Visionary immunologist and oncology R&D leader with over 25 years of experience in both academia and industry. As a former Chief Scientific Officer and SVP at Pfizer, Robert led global immuno-oncology discovery efforts. He has advanced more than a dozen Immunotherapeutics to the clinic, including CAR-T, bi-specifics, and innovative cytokine therapies. He possesses deep expertise in cancer biology, antibody engineering, and the tumor microenvironment ecosystem, along with a proven track record in preclinical drug discovery, scientific strategy, and global team leadership. Before joining Circurna, Robert held senior academic and administrative roles at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and UC San Diego, where he led translational research programs, secured ongoing NIH funding, and promoted industry-academic collaborations. He is known for his ability to foster innovation, advance research portfolios, and uphold rigorous science, producing impactful therapies and building high-performing teams at the intersection of immunology and oncology.
Judith Pignac Kobinger, M.Sc.
Acting Regulatory & Compliance Officer
Experienced professional in regulatory, clinical research, and financial management with over 20 years of expertise across U.S. academia (University of Miami), biotech, and international non-profit sectors. At Circurna, Judith oversees global regulatory strategy, compliance, grant management, and strict fiscal oversight, ensuring robust financial controls and investor-grade reporting. She has managed multi-million-dollar budgets and prepared financial reports for federal and international grants (NIH, DOD, CEPI, UKRI, GAC) and complex clinical trials. Previously, Judith led regulatory operations for a Geneva-based clinical trial funded by DARPA, ensuring compliance with SwissMedic and U.S. DOD HRPO standards. As President of GuardRX, she built governance and operational frameworks that enabled Canadian CIHR grant eligibility and advanced research on neglected diseases in LMICs. Judith holds GCP certification (UTMB/FDA) for high-consequence pathogen trials, bringing financial discipline and regulatory expertise to Circurna’s global programs.
Founding Members
Peter Weinstein, Ph.D., J.D.
Acting Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
Dr. Peter Weinstein is an accomplished biotech executive, registered patent attorney, and co-founder. Peter brings over 35 years of experience in immunology, intellectual property, and business leadership. As CEO and Board Member, he guides Circurna’s strategy, leads a robust IP pipeline, and guides multidisciplinary teams from innovation to commercialization. Previously, Peter managed global IP portfolios for major therapeutics at Baxter Healthcare and advised hundreds of biotech companies as founder of Entralta, P.L.L.C. His dual expertise ensures that Circurna’s innovations are both pioneering and well-protected, strengthening the company’s competitive position in RNA therapeutics.
Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco, MD, PhD
Board member, Co-Founder
Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco, MD, PhD, is the Charles H.Ross Jr. Professor of Multiple Sclerosis and Chair of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology at the University of Virginia, and co-founder of Circurna. He launched his independent scientific career in 1990 as Assistant Professor at Duke University, where he ultimately held the Charles D. Watts Professorship of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, founded the Duke Center for RNA Biology, and was a principal in the establishment of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Program at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore. He subsequently served as the Vacek Distinguished Professor and Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) before joining the University of Virginia in 2023.
A leader in RNA biology and virology, he has authored more than 200 publications with continuous NIH funding since 1991. He has mentored dozens of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, many of whom now lead prominent research programs in the United States and internationally. He is a member of the Association of American Physicians (2011), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2022), and the National Academy of Sciences (2025), and a Fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2011) and the American Academy of Microbiology (2013). He has co-founded multiple life sciences companies and continues to serve on scientific advisory boards across the biotechnology sector.
Alexander Bukreyev Ph.D.
Co-Founder
Alexander is a Co-Founder of Vaxxirna and an accomplished molecular virologist whose research focuses on emerging infectious diseases, immunopathogenesis and vaccine development.
Born and raised in Riga, Latvia, Alex earned a Master of Science in Pharmacy and a PhD in Molecular Biology in Russia. He began his virology career at the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR before moving to the United States in 1995. He subsequently joined the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, initially as a postdoctoral and visiting fellow and later as a staff scientist. During his tenure, he studied respiratory syncytial virus, SARS-CoV and Ebola virus.
In 2010, Alex established an independent research program at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston focused on Ebola and Marburg viruses. He later expanded his research to include Lassa virus, SARS-CoV-2, New World hantaviruses, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus and respiratory syncytial virus. Supported by grants and contracts from the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Defense, his team conducts research within the BSL-3 and BSL-4 facilities of the Galveston National Laboratory.
Alex has authored more than 190 scientific publications and served on the NIH Vaccines Against Microbial Diseases Study Section from 2017 to 2021. He also co-founded Circurna, formerly Emervax, where he served as its founding president and vice president of research and development. Alex is a member of the American Society for Virology, the American Society for Microbiology and the International Society for Vaccines, and an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.
Board of Directors
Peter Weinstein. Ph.D., J.D
Board Member, Co-Founder, C.E.O.
Dr. Peter Weinstein is an accomplished biotech executive, registered patent attorney, and co-founder. Peter brings over 35 years of experience in immunology, intellectual property, and business leadership. As CEO and Board Member, he guides Circurna’s strategy, leads a robust IP pipeline, and guides multidisciplinary teams from innovation to commercialization. Previously, Peter managed global IP portfolios for major therapeutics at Baxter Healthcare and advised hundreds of biotech companies as founder of Entralta, P.L.L.C. His dual expertise ensures that Circurna’s innovations are both pioneering and well-protected, strengthening the company’s competitive position in RNA therapeutics.
Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco,
MD, PhD
Board member, Co-Founder
Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco, MD, PhD, is the F. Palmer Weber Medical Research Professor and Chair of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology at the University of Virginia, and co-founder of Circurna. He launched his independent scientific career in 1990 as Assistant Professor at Duke University, where he ultimately held the Charles D. Watts Professorship of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, founded the Duke Center for RNA Biology, and was a principal in the establishment of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Program at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore. He subsequently served as the Vacek Distinguished Professor and Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) before joining the University of Virginia in 2023.
A leader in RNA biology and virology, he has authored more than 200 publications with continuous NIH funding since 1991. He has mentored dozens of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, many of whom now lead prominent research programs in the United States and internationally. He is a member of the Association of American Physicians (2011), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2022), and the National Academy of Sciences (2025), and a Fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2011) and the American Academy of Microbiology (2013). He has co-founded multiple life sciences companies and continues to serve on scientific advisory boards across the biotechnology sector.
Robert Rickert, Ph.D.
Board Member, CSO
Visionary immunologist and oncology R&D leader with over 25 years of experience in both academia and industry. As a former Chief Scientific Officer and SVP at Pfizer, Robert led global immuno-oncology discovery efforts. He has advanced more than a dozen Immunotherapeutics to the clinic, including CAR-T, bi-specifics, and innovative cytokine therapies. He possesses deep expertise in cancer biology, antibody engineering, and the tumor microenvironment ecosystem, along with a proven track record in preclinical drug discovery, scientific strategy, and global team leadership. Before joining Circurna, Robert held senior academic and administrative roles at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and UC San Diego, where he led translational research programs, secured ongoing NIH funding, and promoted industry-academic collaborations. He is known for his ability to foster innovation, advance research portfolios, and uphold rigorous science, producing impactful therapies and building high-performing teams at the intersection of immunology and oncology.
Mark Esser, Ph.D.
Board Member
Mark Esser is an accomplished immunologist with more than 20 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience spanning drug discovery, clinical development and commercialization in infectious diseases and cancer. He is a recognized scientific leader in viral and bacterial vaccines, therapeutic antibodies, T-cell therapies, biomarkers and diagnostics.
Throughout his career, Mark has contributed to more than 20 vaccine and therapeutic-antibody development programs, including Gardasil®, FluMist® and Beyfortus®. His experience includes leading global drug-development programs, managing research, clinical and operational teams, authoring regulatory submissions and supporting successful product launches within complex, cross-functional organizations.
Mark is also an experienced scientific communicator and educator with a demonstrated ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to address complex medical and scientific challenges. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
Strategic Advisors
The viRNA™ platform is being developed to support a broad range of infectious disease applications, including:
Tom Monath, MD
Strategic Advisors
Ray Jordan
Corporate Affairs & Strategic Communications
Discover Our Platform and Pipeline
Empowering global health with circular RNA vaccine innovation.