Medsider Radio: Learn From Proven Medtech And Healthcare Experts

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we’re catching up with Bob Paulson, the CEO of VentureMed, a peripheral vascular medtech startup. Bob has over two decades of medical device executive experience, as the CEO of NxThera and Restore Medical, and in leadership roles at Endocardial Solutions, Advanced Bionics, and Medtronic. Bob’s excited multiple medtech startups, and today, he’s going to share his vast expertise, including capital fundraising tips, keys to early-stage medical device product development, and best practices when it comes to clinical evidence and insurance reimbursement.But first, here’s a bit more on Bob’s background:In addition to being CEO of VentureMed, he serves as a Director for Veran Medical Technologies and Spineology. Before he got started in medtech, he worked for General Mills, got an MBA from St. Thomas, and went to law school at Vanderbilt. Bob got involved with medical devices at Medtronic in the early 90s and later was CEO of NxThera, which commercialized benign prostate hyperplasi

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we’re chatting with Dr. Scott Wolf, a prolific medical device entrepreneur and investor who founded Aerin Medical to bring non-surgical therapies to patients with common nasal airway problems. Prior to founding Aerin Medical, Scott started Zeltiq Aesthetics, the maker of CoolSculpting. His other startups include Endogastric Solutions and Cardiac Dimensions, and he was a partner at Prospect Venture Partners as well as VP at Frazier Healthcare Ventures, both leading life science venture capital firms. Scott received his M.D. from George Washington University and his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.You won’t find many people with more hands-on medtech experience than Dr. Scott Wolf, and today he’s going to share his expertise with the Medsider community. In this interview, we’ll discuss Aerin’s technology, break down the advantages of cash-pay versus insurance reimbursement, and get Scott’s advice for would-be founders hoping to turn a great idea into a real prototype.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we’re talking with Rohan Dixit, the Founder and CEO of Lief Therapeutics, which makes consumer- and clinical-grade wearable devices for mental health. Rohan is a neuroscientist who started his career as a researcher with Stanford and Harvard. Rohan founded BrainBot, his first company, at age 23. He’s been the CEO of Lief since 2015.Today, Rohan’s going to break down how Lief started, and we’ll get into product development, how he approaches clinical research, why they initially launched their device as an over-the-counter consumer product, and many other topics related to medtech startups. Before we jump into the conversation, I wanted to mention a few things:If you’re into learning from proven medtech and healthtech leaders, and want to know when new content and interviews go live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You’ll get access to gated articles, and lots of other interesting healthcare content. Second, if you want even more inside info fro

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we’re talking with Nadim Yared, the CEO of CVRx, a pioneer in neuromodulation for cardiovascular diseases. Nadim has been CEO for 15 years and led CVRx through some major pivots and incredible successes. Today, we’re going to discuss his journey with the company, including Nadim’s expertise on clinical trial strategy, startup funding, and working with FDA & CMS. But first, here’s a bit more about Nadim Yared and his background: Nadim holds two graduate degrees, and started his career with GE. After getting his MBA at INSEAD, he went on to run several business units for GE, then spent four years as the head of Medtronic’s Surgical Navigation division. Nadim was then recruited to take the helm at CVRx in 2006, and has been CEO ever since. Before we jump into the conversation, I wanted to mention a few things:If you’re into learning from proven medtech and healthtech leaders, and want to know when new content and interviews go live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we’re talking with the CEO of Lungpacer Medical, Doug Evans. Lungpacer is developing a novel therapeutic solution that preserves the strength of the diaphragm muscle for critically-ill patients on mechanical ventilation.Doug is also a board member of Intact Vascular, which was acquired by Philips, and the former COO of Kensey Nash. He’s a medtech veteran with decades of experience launching startups, developing products, working with payers & regulators, and commercializing novel technologies. Today, we’re going to discuss all these topics, and hear more about Lungpacer’s impressive technology. But first, here’s a bit more about Doug Evans and his background: Doug started his career at GE in business development, and later joined Kensey Nash when it was just a startup with fewer than ten employees. As COO, he led Kensey’s growth to over 400 employees, across the span of 20 years, before they were acquired by Royal DSM. After that, Doug began working with other startups l

We recently caught up with Renee Ryan, the CEO of Cala Health, a bioelectronic medicine company that’s focused on wearable neuromodulation therapies that deliver individualized peripheral nerve stimulation. Renee has 25 years of experience in healthcare as an executive and investor, and in this episode, she shares her expertise with the Medsider community. Renee will discuss some common mistakes that medtech startups make, and talk about what she looks for as an investor in early-stage companies. She shares tips on navigating the regulatory waters and obtaining insurance coverage & reimbursement. Renee also gives us some key learnings from her time at Johnson & Johnson, and talks about what’s new at Cala Health, including their recent FDA breakthrough device designation. But first, here’s a bit more on Renee’s background:She has 25 years of experience in the healthcare space. Previously, Renee led the medical technology investments for Johnson & Johnson Innovation on the West Coast and Asia Pacifi

We recently caught up with medtech start-up extraordinaire, Mike Wallace, who shares his insights and experiences with the Medsider community. Mike is the co-founder and CEO of DeVoro Medical, an early-stage medical device company focused on developing innovative devices for peripheral thrombectomy.Mike says the initial idea or concept for a medtech company is just 5% of the journey. Medsider is all about shining light on that other 95%!In this conversation with Mike, he’ll give tips to newcomers, including some mistakes entrepreneurs often make in the early stages of their companies. Mike explains how you can pivot when an idea doesn’t pan out, and he’ll give his expertise on seed-stage fundraising as well as navigating the regulatory waters. Plus, more on his current work with DeVoro, including how he started working on problems related to peripheral thrombectomy.But first, a bit more on Mike’s medtech background:Prior to co-founding DeVoro Medical, Mike served as Chief Technical Officer and VP of Operation

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we’re catching up with Bruce Shook, the President & CEO of Vesper Medical. Bruce is a medical device executive with more than 30 years of experience, and today, he’s sharing his insights with the Medsider community!In this conversation, we’ll discuss key aspects of running a medtech company, from the early design and fundraising stages through an eventual sale and exit. Bruce shares his expertise on raising start-up capital, designing and prototyping products, navigating the regulatory landscape, and managing reimbursement and coverage strategies. But first, here’s a bit about Bruce Shook’s background:Most recently, Bruce served as CEO of Intact Vascular, which sold to Philips. Prior to Intact Vascular and Vesper Medical, Bruce was co-founder, Director, President and CEO of Neuronetics, a publicly traded device company that markets a non-invasive brain stimulation technology for the treatment of depression.Previously, he was co-founder, Director, President and CEO at Neu

In this episode of Medsider Radio,  we’re talking with Mike Kujak, the President & CEO of Francis Medical.Mike breaks down Francis’ innovative new water vapor technologies, and provides some advice about developing the alpha & beta versions of a medtech product. We’ll also discuss how to navigate the early-stage regulatory environment, and hear Mike’s views on how best to plan & execute a clinical research strategy.Then we’ll discuss fundraising strategies and ask Mike what’s next for Francis Medical as the company plans for its second-generation development program. But first, a bit more on Mike's background...Most recently, Mike was the Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of International Markets for NxThera. Prior to that, he was the Vice President and General Manager of the Prostate Health business unit of American Medical Systems.Mike received his MBA from the University of St. Thomas and has a Bachelor of Science degree in physics and chemistry from the University of South Dako

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