ANDOVER, Mass., Sept. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TransMedics, Inc., a privately held medical device company founded in 1998 to address the unmet need for better, more effective organ transplant technologies, announced today that Richard van Oostrom, formerly of Guidant Corporation, has joined the company’s board of directors. This appointment marks the latest step in the evolution of the TransMedics board with the addition of industry-experienced, non-investor board members.
“We are delighted that Mr. van Oostrom has joined our board at this pivotal time in TransMedics’ history,” said Dr. Waleed Hassanein, president and CEO of TransMedics. “As the European phase of the PROTECT heart trial of our Organ Care System continues to progress, we welcome his expert input as we move forward in our efforts to expand the reach of the trial and towards our near term goal of product commercialization in Europe.”
Mr. Van Oostrom brings more than 30 years of experience in the medical device market to TransMedics. He is a former member of the executive board of Guidant Corporation, past president of its European operations, and was involved in the formation of Guidant and its subsequent IPO on the New York Stock Exchange in 1994. He served as Chairman of the European Board till mid-2006, when Guidant was acquired by Boston Scientific.
Previously, van Oostrom was in charge of the Medical Devices and Diagnostic Division of Eli Lilly and Company in Europe, and was based in London, England. Prior to that, he held executive positions at Eli Lilly in the US, Canada, Italy, Germany and the UK. “The TransMedics Organ Care System is a truly unique lifesaving technology that represents a real breakthrough in transplantation,” said Mr. van Oostrom. “I strongly believe in the capability and leadership of TransMedics, and I am honored to become a part of the visionary work being done by Dr. Hassanein and his team. I look forward to assisting as they expand their trials and as they work towards commercialization of this remarkable device.”
A native of the Netherlands, Mr. van Oostrom studied economics in the Netherlands and received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas in 1970. In the last eight years he has been involved as board member in several medical ventures in Europe and Israel.
About TransMedics, Inc.
Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, TransMedics is a privately held medical device company founded in 1998 to address the unmet need for better, more effective organ transplant technologies. The Company has developed the first and only system that allows a new type of organ transplant, called a living organ transplant. This breakthrough, investigational technology, called an Organ Care System, is designed to maintain organs in a warm functioning state outside of the body during transport from organ donor to recipient. The goal of TransMedics’ technology is to improve outcomes and increase organ availability for the growing population of patients with end-stage organ failure in need of a transplant, bridging the ever-widening gap between the number of organs and the number of recipients awaiting transplants. TransMedics’ mission is to enable more patients with end-stage organ failure to benefit from the accepted medical standard of care -- successful transplantation. The TransMedics Organ Care System is designed to help to improve the health of organs being transplanted as well as increase the number of organs available, improving outcomes, and reducing recovery time, hospital stays and reliance on ongoing medical therapies. For more information, visit http://www.TransMedics.com.
TransMedics, Inc.
CONTACT: Lee-Ann Murphy, Vice President of Weber Shandwick,+1-617-520-7216, lee-annmurphy@webershandwick.com; or David Kolstad, VicePresident of Marketing of TransMedics, Inc., +1-978-552-0927,dkolstad@transmedics.com
Web site: http://www.TransMedics.com/
