MENLO PARK, Calif., Sept. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Crux Biomedical, developer of an advanced implantable vena cava filter (IVCF) to prevent pulmonary embolisms, announced the appointment of Randy Lindholm as the Company’s Chairman of the Board. Mr. Lindholm has served on the Company’s Board of Directors since March 2011.
Mr. Lindholm was previously Chairman of the Board and CEO of Vidamed, a maker of minimally invasive medical devices to treat benign prostate hyperplasia until it was acquired by Medtronic. Prior to Vidamed, Randy held senior positions at GE Medical Systems and Nellcor Puritan Bennett. “I am excited to assume this expanded role at Crux Biomedical. The company is well positioned to take advantage of the current high level of interest in a better performing, retrievable IVC filter,” stated Mr. Lindholm. He has served on numerous medical device company boards, and currently serves as director of publically held Omnicell (Nasdaq: OMCL), as well as privately held Barrx Medical, Tibion Bionic Technologies, Novasys Medical, and Estech.
“We are very pleased to have Randy’s strategic experience here at Crux, now as Chairman of the Board,” states Mel Schatz, CEO of Crux Biomedical. He continued, “Randy has been very helpful in the past assisting numerous firms to best optimize their growth and strategic alternatives.”
Crux Biomedical has completed enrolling patients in its pivotal IDE study in the United States. The Company expects to launch internationally in early 2012. “Now that patient enrollment has been completed, it is the right time to elevate Randy to the Chairman role to continue the momentum that Crux has created,” noted Doug Kelly, M.D., General Partner at Alloy Ventures, and majority shareholder of Crux Biomedical.
Crux Biomedical was founded in 2004 by Thomas Fogarty, M.D., to target the development of an advanced implantable inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) to prevent the occurrence of potentially fatal pulmonary embolisms. Although routinely used in the United States, currently cleared IVC filters are associated with a variety of complications. “We recognized current IVC filters did not meet the needs of clinicians and designed a filter that provided better retrievability,” stated Tom Fogarty, M.D.
Each year in the United States approximately 600,000 patients develop a PE and an estimated 200,000 deaths occur. Pulmonary embolisms are recognized as the most preventable cause of death among hospitalized patients.
Crux Biomedical is located in Menlo Park, California and is funded by Alloy Ventures, Emergent Medical Partners, and Three Arch Partners.
SOURCE Crux Biomedical
