PPD CEO David Grange to retire | Personnel moves

February 9, 2011 By MassDevice staff

Here’s the latest personnel changes from medical device, diagnostics and life science companies around the nation. For more news on recent hirings and firings in the industry, check out MassDevice’s compilation of the latest personnel moves.

PPD CEO David Grange to retire
Pharmaceutical Product Development Inc. (NSDQ:PPDI) announced that David Grange plans to retire as CEO and a member of the company’s board of directors. Grange joined PPD’s board in 2003 and served with distinction as an independent director until mid-2009 when he became CEO. Grange’s retirement will be effective May 18, 2011, the date of the company’s annual shareholder meeting. The board of directors has started the succession planning process and will promptly initiate a search internally and externally for a successor. Grange will assist in the transition of his duties during the remainder of his tenure as CEO and will continue to provide assistance to the company on transition and other matters under a consulting agreement for the balance of 2011. After his retirement and until a new CEO is in place, his duties will be handled by Dr. Eshelman and other members of PPD’s management team.
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Natus taps John Buhler for COO
Natus Medical Inc. (NSDQ:BABY) appointed of John Buhler as president and COO of the company. Over his 28 year career, Buhler has overseen and directed rapidly growing enterprises both big and small within the medical device industry, recently as president and CEO of SenoRx Inc. (NSDQ:SENO) prior to its acquisition in July 2010. His experience includes senior management positions at General Electric, last serving as VP and GM of GE’s $500 million Ultrasound Performance Technologies Division covering China and Asia; president and CEO of Ultrasonix Medical Corp. in Canada; and VP of operations for Diasonics Inc.
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Response Genetics Inc. appoints Kathleen Danenberg president
Response Genetics Inc. (NSDQ:RGDX), a company focused on the development and commercialization of molecular diagnostic tests for cancer, announced the addition of Christine Meda as the company’s president. Kathleen Danenberg, who held this position previously, will continue to act as CEO of the company. In her role, Ms. Meda will be responsible for helping in the execution of the company’s strategy and operations on a day-to-day basis and, with her unique expertise in cancer diagnostics, leading the company in new areas of the market, such as the development of companion diagnostics.
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ConvaTec announces new leader ship appointments
ConvaTec, a developer and marketer of innovative medical technologies for community and hospital care, appointed several executives to new positions within the company. Nino Pionati has been appointed president, Intercontinental in a newly aligned region that will include Asia Pacific, Latin America and Canada. These markets continue to be a strategic focus for growth for the company. He will continue as a member of the Executive Committee and will serve as the Executive Sponsor for the company emerging markets growth initiatives. Jorgen Hansen has been appointed Senior Vice president, Global Marketing and Business Development. In his role, Hansen will be responsible for expanding access to, and commercialization of, critical innovations to drive growth. Hansen will serve as a new member of the Executive Committee. Robbie Heginbotham has been named interim Vice president, Global Manufacturing and Supply Chain following the departure of Cheryl Capps. In this role he will focus on developing best-in-class quality and service initiatives while maximizing operational effectiveness of the global manufacturing process and network. Heginbotham will act as an interim member of the Executive Committee.
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ReVision Optics appoints John Kilcoyne president and CEO
ReVision Optics Inc. a leading research and development company specializing in implantable microlens technology to treat presbyopia, announced the appointment of John T. Kilcoyne as Chief Executive Officer and president. Kilcoyne will succeed J. Randy Alexander. Alexander will assume the role of chairman of the board. Kilcoyne has more than 29 years of experience in the medical device market. Most recently he served as chairman and CEO of Micrus Endovascular Corporation, until its sale to Johnson & Johnson in September 2010. Kilcoyne also previously served as president and Chief Executive Officer of Solace Therapeutics from 2002 to 2004 and Endonetics from 1997 until its acquisition by Medtronic in December 2001.
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How COVID-19 impacts FDA interactions with medical device manufacturers
By Stewart Eisenhart, Emergo Group The US Food and Drug Administration may revise performance goals and timelines set under the Medical Device User Fee Amendments IV (MDUFA IV) as emergency efforts targeting the coronavirus pandemic take up more of the agency’s time. Get the full story here at the Emergo Group’s blog. The opinions expressed… […]
Switchback Medical adds ‘sandbox approach’ to device testing
Contract manufacturer Switchback Medical (Maple Grove, Minn.) today announced that it has added a new division. Switchback BioSim Innovations offers functional dynamic biosimulator model development, cell culture services and physician training, according to the company. Biosimulator models use animal and human tissue to create functional models, such as a pumping heart with working valves to… […]
Smith College team wins ventilator design challenge
A team of Smith College engineering alumnae, staff and faculty has won the CoVent-19 Challenge to design a rapidly deployable ventilator to address shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in developing countries. A dozen anesthesiology resident physicians from Massachusetts General Hospital kicked off the public challenge April 1, attracting 200 entries. The 30-person team… […]
FDA gives certain device makers more time to add UDIs
The FDA said today that it will grant manufacturers of Class 1 and unclassified medical devices and certain others more time to add unique device identifiers (UDIs) to their products. These companies will now have until Sept. 24, 2022 to comply with the agency’s UDI rule, including standard date formatting, labeling and Global Unique Device… […]
Eurofins launches 10-minute COVID-19 exposure testing device
Eurofins (Paris:ERF.PA) announced today that it launched its rapid point-of-care testing devices to identify past exposure to COVID-19. The serology-based, finger-prick tests detect antibodies with a sensitivity of 94.5% from 19 days following the onset of symptoms, with results coming in just 10 minutes, according to a news release. Get the full story at our sister site,… […]
How is RF technology shaping the future of medtech?
RF technology, including microwaves, isn’t just about wireless communications or military radar these days. Times Microwave Systems experts point out that it is increasingly important when it comes to medtech. Many medical electronics systems such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems for cancer detection rely on RF/microwave technology. Times Microwave Systems (Wallingford, Conn.) is hosting… […]
Medical device litigation and COVID-19: What you need to know
The COVID-19 pandemic is creating a new set of medical device litigation challenges — but also a chance for an industry reset. One of Greenberg Traurig’s top medtech litigation lawyers shares her insights. Sara Thompson doesn’t take any guff when she tells people that she defends medical device and pharmaceutical companies from lawsuits. “I say,… […]
Mayo Clinic needed to engineer its way through COVID-19: Here’s what they did.
The health system’s medical and engineering staffs had to devise their own solutions for lab gear, PPE and operating room air decontamination. As COVID-19 settles into several regions of the U.S., healthcare systems that once sat on the sidelines likely will find themselves in the same situation as their counterparts in the Northeast did earlier… […]
Xenco Medical launches porous spinal implant
Xenco Medical this week said it launched its Cancellex porous titanium lumbar interbodies. The injection-molded titanium foam spinal implants are designed to be pre-attached to disposable, composite polymer instruments. They feature interconnected porosity throughout each implant and are designed to promote bone apposition and facilitate vascularization Each implant is sterile packaged and comes pre-attached to… […]
Applied Plastics adds VP of sales
Applied Plastics (Norwood, Mass.) — maker of PTFE-coated products for advanced catheter systems — announced today that Michael Brown has joined the company as VP of sales and marketing. Brown will be responsible for global sales and marketing, including Applied Plastics’ new online store, which offers shipment within the U.S. and Europe. The company recently… […]
Heraeus Medical Components opens new Collaboration Hub outside Minneapolis
Heraeus Medical Components recently announced that it has opened a new nearly 67,000-square-foot Collaboration Hub in the Minneapolis-St. Paul medtech cluster. The Collaboration Hub — a completely new location near the Heraeus’ existing Fridley, Minn. facility — is meant to provide the company’s customers with the opportunity to work on-site with Heraeus Medical component R&D… […]