MicroMed Cardiovascular Inc., manufacturer of the HeartAssist 5™ left ventricular assist device (LVAD), announced today that Rodger Ford has joined the company as CEO and Chairman of the Board. Mr. Ford is the former CEO of SynCardia Systems, Inc., manufacturer of the world’s only FDA, Health Canada and CE approved Total Artificial Heart.
“Six years ago, there were nearly 20 companies and devices in the field of Mechanical Circulatory Support,” said Mr. Ford. “The field has been narrowed to virtually four: Thoratec, HeartWare, SynCardia and MicroMed. SynCardia has the world’s only approved Total Artificial Heart. MicroMed has the most advanced LVAD on the planet.”
The HeartAssist 5 LVAD is an implantable blood pump that increases blood flow through the failing left ventricle of the heart, which is responsible for pumping blood to the body. The HeartAssist 5 pump weighs just 92 grams. Because of its miniature size, it is one of the few LVADs that can be implanted above the diaphragm, adjacent to the heart. The HeartAssist 5 is the only LVAD with a precise, direct flow measurement system and wireless home monitoring.
A director of SynCardia since May 2004, Mr. Ford became SynCardia’s CEO and President in July 2005. He joined the board of directors for MicroMed Cardiovascular in July 2008. Mr. Ford brings more than 40 years of entrepreneurial accomplishments and leadership to MicroMed, having founded numerous companies including AlphaGraphics Printshops Of The Future, PetsHotel and Anthem Equity Group, Inc.
“At MicroMed, I will apply the tried and proven business formula that I know best,” said Mr. Ford. “This company is loaded with talent and determination and a left ventricular assist device that has no equal.”
MicroMed’s HeartAssist 5 is CE approved for use in Europe and undergoing an FDA clinical study in the U.S.
About MicroMed Cardiovascular Inc.
MicroMed Cardiovascular Inc. is an international medical device manufacturer specializing in the field of Mechanical Circulatory Support. More people die from heart failure than all forms of cancer combined. MicroMed gives these patients a second chance at life with the HeartAssist 5, a long term, reliable, implantable blood pump developed by NASA, Dr. DeBakey and Baylor College of Medicine. The device has been implanted in more than 450 patients and has commercial approval in Europe, Humanitarian Device approval for use in children in the U.S. and is undergoing an adult clinical study in the U.S. MicroMed is also developing a Total Artificial Heart in partnership with Texas Heart Institute, Rice University and the University of Houston under the auspices of a grant from NIH. The company is headquartered in Houston, Texas. For more information, please visit www.micromedcv.com.
Media Contact: Don Isaacs Director of Communications MicroMed Cardiovascular Email Contact Cell: (520) 955-0660
