Medsider Radio: Learn From Proven Medtech And Healthcare Experts

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we caught up with Sean Saint, the CEO of Companion Medical, which recently sold to Medtronic. Sean has more than 20 years of engineering experience in medical devices and various start-ups. Here are a few topics we covered in this interview: How Sean and his team at Companion Medical came up with the idea for the InPen. Sean's advice for raising money from medtech investors. Companion Medical's insurance and reimbursement strategy for the InPen. There's definitely a lot more that we cover in this discussion, but before we jump in, I wanted to mention a few things:First, I’m trying something a little different with this next series of Medsider interviews, which will be focused entirely on stories from some of the most compelling medtech and healthtech startups across the globe. So here’s what’s different: I’ve asked these founders and CEOs to answer a series of questions, which I’ve converted to audio stories with the help of some professional voiceover artists. Think of thes

This interview brings us to the end of a throwback mini-series that I’ve been releasing over the past few months with some of my favorite Medsider guests of all time.On this particular episode, I chatted with Rich Ferrari, Managing Director of De Novo Ventures, and one of the most well-known VC’s in the medtech space. Here are some of the points we covered: Novel ways to fund early-stage medical device companies. The metrics that are most important when it comes to early-stage versus late-stage medtech investing. Why does the FDA “runway” seem to get longer and longer over time? How Rich identifies and validates whether an idea is truly disruptive. Download the transcript here.

We're coming to the end of the throwback mini-series that I’ve been releasing over the past few months with some of my favorite Medsider guests of all time.In this discussion with Sheila Heyer, President of Heyer Regulatory Solutions and former VP of Global Regulatory Affairs at Boston Scientific, we learn where medical device companies are missing the mark when it comes to the FDA approval process. Here are some of the things we chatted about: The three most important steps you can take right now to get your medical device approved faster. Quality submissions and solid relationships: the importance of honing these two concepts in order to enhance your regulatory approval process. The key characteristics that great medtech regulatory professionals all have in common. Check out the full interview here.

This interview is a continuation of a throwback mini-series that I’ve been releasing over the past few weeks with some of my favorite Medsider guests of all time.One of which is Lisa Suennen, who was then a Managing Member of Psilos Group, a healthcare-focused venture capital firm with approximately $600 million under management. Although this discussion is several years old and the audio quality isn’t the best, the insights Lisa provides are timeless. Here are some of the thing we covered: What does Lisa think when the goal of physicians is to “dagger historical price lists." Why Lisa and her partners at the Psilos Group favor late-stage deals. Corporate venture capital arms: friend or foe?  And if you’re an early-stage medical device company, what is the best way to get the attention of Lisa Suennen and her peers in the VC world? See more...

This interview is a continuation of a throwback mini-series that I’ve been releasing over the past few weeks with some of my favorite Medsider guests of all time.On this particular episode, I chatted with Randel Richner, a true expert when it comes to healthcare economics and reimbursement.  At the time of this interview, she was with Neocure Group, a company she founded and later sold to Intralign.Although this discussion is several years old and the audio quality isn’t ideal, the insights Randel provides are timeless. Here are some of the thing we covered: A case study of how Randel helped save a medical device company from severe reimbursement implications. Randel’s unique “orchestra score” philosophy and how it aids in streamlining reimbursement strategies. The importance of defining the difference between how hospitals get paid and how physicians get paid. And what Randel means by the statement “comparative effectiveness is a code word for cost-effectiveness”. See more...

This interview is part of a throwback mini-series to several years ago when I chatted with Kevin Bitterman, who at the time, was with Polaris Venture Partners. He’s now a partner with Atlas Venture, but the lessons you can glean from this discussion still hold true. Namely: What medtech venture capitalists like to see in a startup and how these early-stage medical device companies can best position themselves for success.  What requirements would make for an attractive IPO opportunity? What questions should medtech startups have already answered before approaching a potential buyer? And in terms of a potential exit, what is more, important for a medical device startup – clinical data or commercial traction? See more...

This interview is part of a throwback mini-series to several years ago when I chatted with my good friend, Joe Hage. He’s the CEO of Medical Marcom and Chairman of the Medical Devices Group, a community of over 350,000 medical device members. In this entertaining interview, here are some of the things we talked about: How Joe, with a limited medical device industry background, helped Cardiac Science become a medtech marketing leader. Why Joe thinks search engine optimization (SEO) is among the most important elements for your marketing mix. How you can use editorials to demonstrate medical device industry leadership. And why sending prospects to your website homepage may not be the best idea. See more...

This interview is a throwback to several years ago when I chatted with Dr. David Albert about his incredible journey in bringing the AliveCor ECG app to market. Here are a few things we covered: The amazing story of how AliveCor’s iPhone app helped save a man’s life while on an airplane! The roller coaster ride Dr. Albert experienced in his pursuits to develop the ECG app. Five key lessons you can learn from Dr. Albert’s experiences.  And his timeliness advice for ambitious doers, which includes the following: believe in your ideas don’t be afraid to swim against the stream. Click here to learn more.

On this episode of Medsider Radio, our guest is Travis Sessions, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Biomerics, a leading mid-market interventional device contract manufacturer. He's also a Managing Partner of Med Venture Holdings, a unique medtech growth equity investor. With over 20 years of business management experience, Travis has successfully built and grown multiple medical device technology companies during his career. He got his start professionally at Dow Chemical and has held management positions at Microsoft and Parker Hannifin Corporation. Travis has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Brigham Young University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Michigan. Interview Highlights with Travis Sessions: Macro trends within the medtech market, including Travis’ thoughts on the future. Key differences between contract manufacturers (CMs) and large original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Critical things that OEMs should look for when identifying and working with CMs. T

In this episode of Medsider Radio, our guest is Matthew Amsden, the Founder and CEO of ProofPilot, a platform designed to help people design, launch and participate in clinical trials.ProofPilot’s mission statement revolves around making it incredibly easy to run scientifically-valid research studies. They’re dedicated to making research study participation accessible, interesting, and fun.      In this discussion with Matthew, we chatted about the importance and feasibility of virtual clinical trials, how they can potentially become a revenue driver, the origin story of ProofPilot, and why their hybrid model is so popular.Interview Highlights with Matthew Amsden Who is Matthew Amsden and where did the idea for ProofPilot begin?     The importance of letting early customers try product iterations. How clinical studies can become a revenue driver.  Various types of clinical trials and how they’re conducted on the ProofPilot platform. Risky and costly approaches to traditional clinical studies.      The synergy

Over the last 20 years, Dr. Tej Singh has served as the Founder and Chief of Vascular Surgery for three large, multidisciplinary vascular programs in Silicon Valley. He has vast experience with renal failure and vascular access procedures, and is acutely focused on his first company, Fist Assist Devices. Dr. Singh’s company is developing the first renal care wearable device for venous enlargement and dialysis enhancement. In this episode, Dr. Singh and I talk about the primary challenge that Fist Assist Devices is trying to solve, the origin story for their first product, his approach to mapping out clinical trial strategies, and much more.      Interview Highlights with Dr. Tej Singh Who is Dr. Tej Singh and what is his background? What is Fist Assist Devices and what challenges are they trying to solve? The origin story for their first product and the critical inflection points for the company.     How Dr. Singh evaluated the IP landscape for his first device.  Dr. Singh’s approach to mapping out clinical t

I recently sat down with Katherine Ward, Chief Commercial Officer and managing director for Healthy.io. She has worked in healthcare for 28 years — including 15 years with the UK National Health Service and 11 years with United Health Group where she was the Chief Executive with United Health UK and Chief Growth Officer with Optimum International. In this conversation, we cover what Healthy.io does for the broader healthcare community, lessons from the COVID-19 crisis, clinical-grade population health technology, decentralized remote diagnostic screening, and how their technology works with existing health systems. Interview Highlights with Katherine Ward Who is Katherine and what is her background? What is Healthy.io and what challenges or problems do they solve for patients and clinicians? Why the time finally come for decentralized remote diagnostic screening, using urine testing as an example. Lessons on the importance of virtual testing from the COVID-19 crisis. How Healthy.io has approached the regulato

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we downloaded with Jennifer Fried, the CEO and Co-Founder of ExplORer Surgical. Jennifer founded the company with Dr. Alex Langerman as an MBA student at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where she received her degree with honors in finance and entrepreneurship.Previously, Jennifer was a Vice President at Park Lane Ventures, a healthcare-focused venture capital fund spun out of Essex Woodlands. Jennifer began her career as a consultant at Bain & Company in Chicago after graduating from Northwestern University.With me on this episode is special guest host, Norbert Juist, who runs Sales Performance Resources, where he specializes in recruiting for medical device marketing and sales positions. Prior to this, he was a sales rep at Cordis Endovascular, a spine consultant at Synthes, and a sales rep at Ethicon. Interview Highlights with Jennifer Fried● How most medical device companies capture procedural data & workflow processes -- and why it’s completel

On this episode of Medsider Radio, I had the chance to sit down with Michael Tozzi, President and CEO of TAS Medical. Mike and his team are aiming to eliminate surgical mesh by converting hernia procedures to minimally invasive repairs.Mike has over 20 years of commercial medical device experience and specializes in investor relations, sales & marketing readiness, and improving the execution of early-stage medical device companies.. Previous to TAS Medical, Mike served as Chief Commercial Officer at Carevoyance, where he and his team created groundbreaking analytics tools designed to help medical device companies better understand their markets and execute their commercial goals.Prior to this, Mike helped to build Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. (or CSI) from the ground floor, taking the company from early stage to over $1.3 billion in market capitalization in just seven years. At CSI, Mike held various executive roles in sales and marketing. Joining me on this episode is special guest host, Norbert Juist, w

Joining Medsider Radio for this episode is Beverly Huss, President and CEO of Qool Therapeutics, a development-stage company working on a novel, non-invasive therapeutic hypothermia device for the preservation of tissue following catastrophic events like a heart attack, stroke, or traumatic brain injury.Previously, Beverly was the CEO of Vibrynt, a start-up medical device company dedicated to creating minimally invasive therapies for patients suffering from morbid obesity. Prior to that, Beverly was the President of Guidant Endovascular Solutions (acquired by Abbott), a medical device company focused on the treatment of cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease.She holds an M.S. in technology management from Pepperdine University, as well as a B.S. in metallurgical engineering from the University of Illinois. Beverly also has a few patents to her credit in the cardiovascular and obesity medical device arenas.With me on this episode is guest host, Norbert Juist, one of the most honest, genuine, and person

I recently had the opportunity to interview Dan Rose, CEO of the French-based medtech company LimFlow. Founded in 2012, LimFlow transformed the peripheral vasculature space by providing a lifesaving option for end-stage critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) patients facing amputation. LimFlow is designed to restore blood flow to the ischemic foot via deep vein arterialization, thereby preventing major amputation, resolving pain, and promoting wound healing. Prior to assuming the role of CEO at LimFlow in August 2016, Dan had more than 16 years of leadership experience in the medical device and venture capital/startup sectors. Most recently, he was VP and General Manager EMEA for Direct Flow Medical, and VP of Commercial Operations and a Member of the Board at Sequana Medical, a Swiss medical device company. Norbert Juist, an executive recruiter who specializes in medical device sales and marketing, also joined me for this interview with Dan Rose. Norbert brings a unique perspective to this discussion, hav

After a brief hiatus from recording podcasts, it was a privilege to dust off the microphone and interview Kyle Frye. As U.S. president of SyntheticMR, Kyle is tasked with growing and expanding the brand and business in the U.S. for the Swedish-based company that is creating the future of quantitative MRI technology. Their innovative MRI software solutions support shorter exam times and deliver more information to clinicians, leading to improved diagnostic efficacies.Prior to assuming this role in August 2019, Kyle was a Zone Vice President of Sales for Siemens, and also was in leadership positions at both niche and large medtech companies including Blue Belt Technologies (now Smith & Nephew), Verathon, and Brainlab. He also worked for BioMedix for three years, working his way up from a sales rep driving 4–5 hours a day to Western Area Sales Director, which required relocation from metro Cincinnati to the San Francisco Bay area. Kyle received a B.A. degree in political science and finance from Northern Ken

In late 2016, I was able to sit down with Kevin Sidow. At the time he was President & Chief Executive Officer for Moximed, and had been since 2008.Prior to his time at Moximed, Kevin was President & CEO for St. Francis Medical Technologies, a privately held, venture-funded company focused on developing innovative treatments for patients suffering from degenerative spinal disorders. In January 2007, St. Francis Medical Technologies was sold for $725 million to Kyphon, which was acquired by Medtronic later that same year.Previously, Kevin was the Worldwide President of DePuy, where he supervised the global orthopedic, spine, trauma, and sports medicine businesses, with annual revenue responsibility of over $3 billion dollars. Kevin holds a B.S. in Accounting from West Virginia University.Here are a few of the things we learned from Kevin:- How Kevin felt when Moximed’s first patient was treated with the Atlas System after 8+ years of research and development.- What makes the Atlas System different than

A few years ago, I had the privilege of sitting down and talking with serial medtech entrepreneur Paul Buckman, who at the time, was CEO of Conventus Orthopedics. Prior to Conventus, Paul held CEO roles at SentreHEART, Pathway Medical Technologies (which sold to Bayer HealthCare), and Devax (which sold to Biosensors International). From 2004 through 2006, Buckman served as President of the Cardiology Division of St. Jude Medical. Before joining St. Jude, he served as Chairman and CEO of ev3, a company that Buckman co-founded and was later acquired by Covidien for $2.5 billion dollars in 2010.Paul has worked in the medical device industry for over 35 years, including 10 years at Scimed Life Systems and Boston Scientific where he held several executive positions before becoming President of the Cardiology Division at Boston Scientific in January of 2000. Buckman received a BA degree in business administration and an MBA degree from Western Michigan University. Here are a few of the things we’re going to learn i

In this two-part interview, I was lucky enough to sit down with Erica Rogers, CEO of Silk Road Medical. We first spoke a few years ago and then again much more recently to catch up on what had changed at Silk Road since our first conversation.During our catch up, we discussed how Erica led her team at Silk Road through PMA approval, successful insurance coverage and reimbursement strategy, which led to a very rewarding public offering for Silk Road, opening at $20 a share. This resulted in the opportunity to continue the company’s goal, which is to change the standard of care in carotid artery disease with their TCAR procedure.Much of our first conversation was about Erica’s career trajectory and how she was able to successfully, and gracefully, exit multiple medtech companies. Her lengthy career and insight as a medtech thought leader is just as interesting today as it was when we recorded our conversation.Before leading Silk Road, Erica was the COO of Medicines360, a nonprofit pharmaceutical company develop