CEO of Covid-19 vaccine developer Nanogen dies at 59

Ho Nhan, CEO of Nanogen - the first Vietnamese company to conduct clinical trials for a Covid-19 vaccine, passed away on Monday at the age of 59 due to heart disease.

The news was confirmed to the media on the morning of Tuesday by Nguyen Hoang Tuan, chairman of Ho Chi Minh City-based conglomerate Son Kim Group and younger brother-in-law of Nhan.

Earlier, Nguyen Thi Son, founder of Son Kim Group and Nhan’s mother-in-law, had shared the sad news on social media. According to her, Nhan had heart problems and often said he felt "very tired," but he was "dedicated" to his work.

Born in 1966, Nhan grew up in New York and earned a Ph.D. in biotechnology from the University of Arizona. He spent many years conducting biotech research abroad before returning to Vietnam to found Nanogen Biopharmaceuticals JSC in 1997.

Over the years, he served as chairman, CEO, and legal representative of the company. In late 2021, he transferred the CEO and chairman roles to his wife, Nguyen Thi Hong Van. About six months later, he resumed his position as legal representative and CEO, a role he held until his passing.

In 2019, Nanogen was valued at over VND5 trillion ($215 million). At that time, Nhan was the largest shareholder, holding nearly 59.6% of the company’s equity, while his wife owned 14.6%. Nanogen was one of three Vietnamese institutions to research and develop a Covid-19 vaccine.

In late 2020, the company became the first in Vietnam to begin human trials for its vaccine, NanoCovax. After a year of testing, the research team reported that a 25mcg dose provided nearly 52% protection 180 days after injection.

As of 2020, the company’s total assets had reached nearly VND1.37 trillion ($52.74 million). That year also saw the highest revenue the company had recorded in five years.

Nanogen currently operates four manufacturing plants and one R&A center in Vietnam, covering a total area of 73,000 square meters.

With an annual production capacity of over 50 million units, the company has exported its products to 15 countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, and America.