Peytant Solutions hires chief medical and commercial officers

Peytant Solutions today announced it hired Dr. Craig Walker as chief medical officer after naming JD Simpson as chief commercial officer last week.

The Plymouth, Minnesota-based stent maker won FDA de novo marketing authorization for its AMStent tracheobronchial covered stent system in October. AMStent is designed to treat pulmonary obstructions caused by cancer.

“The AMStent’s novel amnion-based covering, phenomenal pre-clinical data, and easy-to-use platform offer us the opportunity to revolutionize care for patients suffering from various causes of luminal disease,” Simpson said in a news release announcing his hiring.

Simpson previously held commercial leadership and executive positions at Insightec, Certus Critical Care and Avinger. He’ll help launch AMStent and expand its commercial availability.

“JD has a history of recruiting, building, and driving high-performing cohesive, successful commercialization strategies and teams,” said Peytant Solutions CEO and Chair John Schorgl. “His experience partnering with the market to generate the key clinical, economic, and business value propositions required to drive the rapid adoption of new technologies will set us up for both short-term and long-term commercial success.”

Regarding the hiring of Walker as CMO, Schorgl said he’s “had the privilege of collaborating and innovating with Dr. Walker on interventional technologies that have improved patient care” for the past three decades.

“He’s a dedicated and curious scientist, real world physician, and successful entrepreneur with an unwavering commitment to improving the medical care,” Schorgl said.

Walker is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and interventional cardiology, and founded New Cardiovascular Horizons, which organizes and hosts accredited conferences to advance the field.

At Peytant Solutions, Walker will oversee all current and future clinical applications of AMStent.

“The AMStent system is a first-of-its-kind stent with an amnion-based covering to treat bronchial obstructions,” Walker said in a news release. “I am optimistic that it will improve outcomes in patients with bronchial obstructions and I look forward to objectively assessing outcomes in patients and further evaluating additional clinical applications.”