Dr Joseph Joyce | Director, Vaccine Process Development
Merck

Dr Joseph Joyce, Director, Vaccine Process Development, Merck


Joseph G. Joyce, Ph.D. is responsible for downstream CMC process development within the Bioprocess Research and Development organization of Merck Research Laboratories. His major role is to direct teams responsible for designing and implementing robust and scalable processes for preparation of drug substance for vaccine candidates within the clinical development space Other functions include providing support for early vaccine discovery work and life cycle management for various legacy vaccines. Joe joined Merck in 1989 working as a protein biochemist. For 15 years, he led a group responsible for antigen identification, production, and characterization within the vaccine discovery space prior to assuming his current role in clinical development in late 2013. Joe has worked on multiple microbial and viral vaccine programs encompassing a wide variety of vaccine modalities. Important highlights include contributions to the development of licensed vaccines RecombivaxHB® for hepatitis B, and Gardasil® and Gardasil-9®for human papillomavirus infection, where he played a key role in establishing purification and characterization protocols for HPV virus-like particles produced in yeast. Projects which he currently has responsibility for include investigational pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (V114) and cytomegalovirus vaccine (V160), both of which are in clinical trials, and contributions to life cycle management for several licensed Merck vaccines including the varicella franchise. Additional vaccine programs which Joe has worked on include HIV-1, Clostridium difficile, Dengue, malaria, and Chlamydia trachomatis. 

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