John Reppas, MD, PhD, Joins Neurological Devices Panel of FDA’s Medical Devices Advisory Committee
SAN FRANCISCO and WASHINGTON, Dec. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health has selected John Reppas, MD, PhD, and Director of Public Policy at the Neurotechnology Industry Organization, to serve as industry representative on the Neurological Devices Panel of FDA’s Medical Devices Advisory Committee.
The FDA has established advisory committees to provide independent, professional expertise and technical assistance on the development, safety and effectiveness, and regulation of medical devices.
“Dr. Reppas is an exceptional choice for the Neurological Devices Advisory Committee” said Zack Lynch, Executive Director and Founder of the Neurotechnology Industry Organization (NIO). “John is a neurotech expert who operates at the intersection of academic, government, and private-sector innovation. He understands the scientific and regulatory issues faced by neurodevice innovators and I’m confident he will add significant insights to committee discussions in the coming years.”
“As industry representative, Dr. Reppas will be in a unique position over the next three years to reflect the perspective of regulated industry, and not a specific sponsor, with regard to safety and effectiveness data concerning marketed and investigational devices for use in the nervous system,” said Suzan Onel, FDA Counsel to NIO and Partner at K&L Gates LLP. “This is a very exciting opportunity for Dr. Reppas and provides NIO membership with a further vehicle to facilitate dialogue on important issues affecting companies involved in the development of neurological devices.”
Nearly 2 billion people worldwide and 100 million people in the US are affected by a brain or nervous system disorder including addiction, Alzheimer’s, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, attention disorders, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, sensory disorders, and sleep disorders. A wide variety of novel neurodevice innovations are currently in development to treat many of these brain-related disorders.
“I’m honored to have been selected to join the Neurological Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee,” said John Reppas. “The FDA plays a critical role in the healthy functioning of the neurodevice ecosystem and I look forward to working with the rest of advisory committee to do our part to help bring safe and effective medical technologies to patients who suffer from brain and nervous system illnesses.”
About NIO
The Neurotechnology Industry Organization represents companies involved in neuroscience (including drugs, devices, software and diagnostics), academic brain research centers, and patient advocacy groups across the world. Since NIO’s founding in 2006, over 100 organizations have joined to “give the brain a voice.” NIO’s annual meeting focused on Neurotech Investing and Partnering will be held April 23-24, 2014 in Boston. More information: www.neurotechconf.com and www.neurotechindustry.org
About John Reppas, MD, PhD
John Reppas MD, PhD is the Director of Public Policy for the Neurotechnology Industry Organization, where he is responsible for government engagement, advocacy, international initiatives, and public-private collaboration to advance commercial neuroscience. He spent fifteen years in academic medicine, at Harvard Medical School and the Stanford University School of Medicine, focused on translational neuroscience. He is an expert in brain-machine interfaces, therapeutic neuromodulation, the biological basis of choice behavior, and brain imaging. Dr. Reppas is an active angel investor in early-stage life science companies. John graduated from Oxford University with a Bachelors of Medicine, received his MD from the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, and a PhD from the Department of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School. He completed further fellowship and postgraduate training at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine and at the Wharton School.
Contact:
Zack Lynch
zack@neurotechindustry.org
415-341-0193
John Reppas
john@neurotechindustry.org
SOURCE Neurotechnology Industry Organization
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