ZURICH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Xeltis, a biomedical technology company developing autologous growing, living and self-healing cardiovascular implants using tissue-engineering technology, has announced the appointment of Laurent Grandidier to chief executive officer. Bringing to Xeltis significant global leadership experience in the medical technology industry, Grandidier will be responsible for advancing the development, clinical study and commercialization of the company’s tissue-engineered heart valve technology. Thomas Sulzer, Xeltis’ former CEO, will continue serving as board member.
Xeltis was founded in 2006 as an independent spin-off of the University of Zurich. The company’s proprietary medical technologies, which are exclusively licensed from the university, have been developed over the past 15 years and have been validated in long-term animal models with study results published in a number of leading peer-reviewed journals. The company expects a first-in-man case using its tissue-engineered pulmonary artery to be completed in 2012.
“I believe that Xeltis’ technology has the potential to transform the treatment of cardiac valve disorders for the benefit of hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide, and I am very gratified to join the company as CEO,” said Grandidier. “The unique growth, longevity and self-healing properties of Xeltis’ valves may not only open up entirely new therapeutic options for a vastly underserved pediatric and young patient population but may also address the increasingly apparent shortcomings of all existing transcatheter valve solutions. I look forward to working with Xeltis’ world class team to advance this important medical technology.”
Grandidier joins Xeltis after serving as the vice president of sales and marketing for Endosense, a Swiss medical technology company that pioneered the field of contact-force sensing in the catheter ablation treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. Before Endosense, he held international executive positions in several industry-leading companies, including Teleflex Medical, Boston Scientific and Guidant. Grandidier started his career at Procter & Gamble.
“Laurent is a highly experienced, well-respected executive with a proven track record in advancing fundamentally new technologies that positively alter clinical practice. We expect his leadership and strategic skills to be invaluable as we continue to execute our ambitious development programs,” said Sulzer. “The board and I are delighted that Laurent agreed to join us.”
About Xeltis
Founded in Zurich in 2006, Xeltis is a privately held biomedical technology company focused on developing autologous growing, living and self-healing cardiovascular implants using tissue-engineering technology. The company is an independent spin-off of the University of Zurich, from which it has exclusive licensed select intellectual property and domain expertise. Xeltis maintains close ties with the University of Zurich and the University Hospital of Zurich through an ongoing research and development collaboration in tissue engineering and related fields. Xeltis is funded by private investors and the Cantonal Bank of Zurich. For more information, visit www.xeltis.com.
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