BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--XenoTherapeutics, a life science company developing the first non-human organ transplant solution currently under investigational review by the FDA, announced that company co-founders Paul Holzer, CEO and Jon Adkins, COO, along with a team of former military and first responder volunteers, travelled some 1500 miles from their homes in New Hampshire to deliver emergency aid in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Michael.
Holzer, a former US Navy SEAL officer and Massachusetts EMT, had previous experience leading a team of clinicians and first responders during a similar humanitarian mission to the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. The XenoTherapeutics relief team also included a former U.S. Marine, a Boston Police officer and current Boston firefighter, as well as a retired Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer. The team’s background in military operations and formal medical training equipped them with the necessary experience needed to be effective first responders in a disaster situation of this magnitude.
“This was the strongest hurricane in recorded history to strike the Florida Panhandle and residents were completely unprepared for the devastation caused by the intense winds and storm surge,” said Paul Holzer, CEO and Co-founder of XenoTherapeutics. “Our goal was to take a capable team with unique skills and a small footprint to provide critical medical relief and emergency supplies in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. What we were able to accomplish on the ground in a short time was incredibly gratifying.”
“Over the long journey to Panama City, our team was able to assemble some 850 gallons of drinking water, 250 gallons of fuel, medical supplies, essential care items and emergency equipment to help the affected residents, some of whom were our family members,” said Jon Adkins, COO and Co-founder of XenoTherapeutics. “Everywhere we turned, there was incredible devastation, with people trying to survive in what can only be described as primitive conditions. We were first on the scene in several areas and helped stabilize the situation until state and Federal resources arrived.”
Photos and videos of the devastation encountered and the team’s progress is documented at the website: https://www.aftermichael2018.com/ Those wishing to contribute to defray costs invested by Team Xeno in the relief effort can do so at this site. Any overages will go directly to the Red Cross in support of those affected by Hurricane Michael.
About XenoTherapeutics
XenoTherapeutics’ mission is to solve
one of the greatest challenges to modern medicine today: the global
shortage of organs and tissues for transplants. The company has
developed a first non-human organ transplant solution currently under
investigational review by the FDA, which has the potential to advance
the science of xenotransplantation and help address the critically unmet
need for organs and tissues for patients around the globe.
For more information, please visit: https://www.xenotherapeutics.org/
