Healionics Names a New CEO

SEATTLE, March 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Healionics Corporation, a Seattle-based medical device company, today announced the appointment of Mike Connolly as Chief Executive Officer. Connolly brings 25 years of leadership in the medical device industry including extensive experience in both operating and venture investing roles.

“We are fortunate to add a leader of Mike’s caliber,” said Andrew Marshall, Director and Chief Technical Officer of Healionics. “He brings a depth of relevant business experience that perfectly complements the skills and background of our founding team.”

Connolly has cofounded several companies, two of which Novacept and Cohesion Technologies reached exits worth a combined $365M. He has also led the regional office for $400M venture capital firm vSpring (now Signal Peak). Most recently, he served as CEO of the venture-backed device company Mirabilis Medica, leading its product development from initial concept through advanced clinical trials. Earlier in his career, Connolly served as a Navy officer aboard a destroyer and taught physics at the US Naval Academy. He has an MBA from Stanford University, MS from MIT, and BS from the US Naval Academy.

“I am honored to be joining Healionics and look forward to commercializing its platform technology and launching STARgraft^TM, a new synthetic graft for improved vascular access for hemodialysis patients,” said Connolly. “Preclinical studies show improved performance of STARgraft’s patency and longevity when compared with conventional synthetic grafts. The United States spends $50 billion annually on patients with kidney failure, mostly due to complications associated with vascular access. Healionics’ STARgraft offers the potential to reduce these costs and, more importantly, increase safety, health and quality of life for the patients.”

About Healionics Corporation
Healionics develops and manufactures synthetic biomaterials and implantable medical devices that offer reduced foreign body reaction, fibrotic encapsulation and infection risk. The precisely controlled pore structure of Healionics’ innovative STAR^® technology induces a favorable healing response and improves tissue integration resulting in enhanced performance and longevity of implantable devices. This patented technology is currently available as an implant for glaucoma treatment and has shown promising preclinical results in other implantable devices and applications. www.healionics.com

Contact: Julie Rathbun Rathbun Communications, Inc.
T : +1.206.769.9219
Julie@rathbuncomm.com

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SOURCE Healionics Corporation