MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Vascular Dynamics, Inc., a privately held medical device company developing novel solutions for the treatment of hypertension, today announced the appointment of James T. McKinley as Chief Operating Officer. As the founder and CEO of multiple innovative medical device firms, Mr. McKinley brings seasoned executive leadership and entrepreneurial experience to Vascular Dynamics, where he will build and oversee the strategic direction for the company’s operations.
“It is a tremendous opportunity to add Jim to our management team,” said Robert Stern, President and CEO of Vascular Dynamics. “He has a distinguished track record of leading rapid growth of medical device companies – from building venture-backed start-ups to growing companies that have scaled to billion dollar operations. Jim’s strategic leadership will be invaluable as we build out our operations and the infrastructure for clinical development and ultimately, commercialization.”
Resistant hypertension is a major unmet medical need, affecting 10 percent of hypertensive patients or nearly 100 million people worldwide1, and significantly increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.
Vascular Dynamics’ MobiusHD™ System, which recently received CE Mark approval, is a minimally invasive system for the treatment of resistant hypertension. The MobiusHD System capitalizes on the ability of the body’s baroreceptor mechanism to regulate blood pressure. Baroreceptors are receptors located in the carotid artery that sense blood pressure and relay that information to the brain. The MobiusHD implant is designed to amplify the signals received by the surrounding arterial baroreceptors, and thereby amplify the body’s natural response to lower blood pressure through vasodilation. The MobiusHD System is not commercially available in the United States.
“I am excited by the promise of this technology to treat patients who have very few good treatment options to control their blood pressure,” said Mr. McKinley. “I look forward to working with this world-class management team, our investors, and scientific advisors to advance innovation for uncontrolled hypertensive patients who face increased risk for devastating complications including stroke, heart failure and kidney disease.”
Mr. McKinley has co-founded and served in leadership positions at Advent Medical, Endosphere, Farallon Medical, Nellix, and NuVasive. While at Nellix, he identified a disruptive technology for treating aortic aneurysms and raised $21 million in three rounds of venture funding. Mr. McKinley also previously co-founded and served as CEO of NuVasive, a minimally-invasive spine company with a current market capitalization of approximately $2.7 billion.
About Resistant Hypertension
Hypertension, or elevated blood pressure, is a common medical condition that currently affects one billion people worldwide2. If left untreated, hypertension can cause life-threatening problems including heart attack, aneurysm, stroke, or kidney failure. Patients with hypertension can often reduce their risk factors by making lifestyle changes such as losing weight, quitting smoking, and increased exercise. In cases with advanced hypertension, medical therapies may be prescribed.
Resistant hypertension cannot be controlled with medical therapies. Patients experiencing resistant hypertension are at four times greater risk of cardiovascular events compared with hypertensive patients achieving blood pressure targets3. The American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that high blood pressure costs the U.S. $46 billion each year, including the cost of healthcare services, medications to treat high blood pressure and lost productivity.
About Vascular Dynamics, Inc.
Vascular Dynamics develops catheter-delivered technologies to bring a better quality of life to patients who are resistant to conventional treatments for hypertension. Vascular Dynamics was one of nine companies chosen in 2012 by the FDA to participate in the Early Feasibility Study IDE Pilot Program. In December 2015, the MobiusHD System was awarded CE Mark certification. The device is covered by seven issued and pending U.S. and international patents. More information is available at www.vasculardynamics.com.
1 Lewington S, et al. Age-specific relevance of usual blood pressure to vascular mortality: A meta-analysis of individual data for one million adults in 61 prospective studies. Lancet. 2002;360: 1903-13
2 Kearney PM, et al. Global burden of hypertension: Analysis of worldwide data. Lancet. 2005;365(9455):217-23
3 Pierdomenico SD, Lapenna D, Bucci A, et al. Cardiovascular outcome in treated hypertensive patients with responder, masked, false resistant, and true resistant hypertension. Am J Hypertens. 2005;18: 1422–8.
