JenaValve taps medtech vet Keltjens for interim CEO

JenaValve tapped a medtech veteran with a string of successful exits behind him as interim chairman & CEO, replacing another medical device vet, David Drachman, after just 7 months.

Drachman, who spent 10 years in the corner office at AtriCure (NSDQ:ATRC), "resigned from the company for non-business related personal reasons, JenaValve said.

JenaValve, which makes a transcatheter aortic valve implant that’s on the market in Europe, had named Drachman to be its new CEO last July.

Keltjens has a long pedigree in the medical device space. Formerly the chief executive at AngioDynamics (NSDQ:ANGO), he took over at Endosense and led it to a $331 million acquisition by St. Jude Medical (NYSE:STJ). By October 2013 Keltjens had landed at Sapiens Brain Steering Stimulation, which Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) acquired for $200 million less than a year later. He’s been a director at Munich- and Irvine, Calif.-based JenaValve since January 2014, according to the company’s website.

"I would like to thank Dave Drachman for his many valuable contributions to JenaValve over the past 6 months. It is unfortunate that his personal circumstances led him to resign his position. We sincerely wish Dave all the best for his future. As interim CEO, I will work closely with the leadership team to ensure that we maintain momentum and continue to drive our company forward while we search for a new U.S.-based chief executive," Keltjens said in prepared remarks. "In the past 6 months, we have made great progress in finalizing the design and testing of our next-generation pericardial valve platform. Moreover, we have worked closely with the regulatory agencies in both the U.S. and the European Union to define clear clinical and regulatory pathways. I am confident in our future based on great technology, strong teams in Munich and Irvine and the TAVI market being one of the fastest growth opportunities in medical devices as well as unwavering support from our board and shareholders."

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