Soft-tissue reconstruction company Tela Bio (NSDQ:TELA) announced the appointment of Dr. Bruce Freedman as VP of clinical development.
Freedman has practiced 32 years as a general surgeon specializing in hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction. He joined Tela Bio after having used its OviTex material in his practice.
The Malvern, Penn.-based company’s tech platform is based on polymer interwoven through layers of biologic tissue in a patented pattern that it claims creates a unique, embroidered construction. The biological material is derived from ovine rumen, the company said, and is intended to reduce foreign body response, minimize inflammation and enable functional tissue remodeling.
“As a surgeon who has performed thousands of hernia repairs with plastic mesh over the past three decades, I fully understand the clinical limitations of using synthetic mesh to repair human tissue,” Freedman said in a news release. “Unfortunately, plastic mesh has the potential to create a foreign body response and inflammation in some patients, the effects of which can cause complications immediately after surgery or even many years down the road.
“OviTex is a very different material and was designed specifically to reduce this foreign-body response,” Freedman added. “I believe this product has remarkable potential to help surgeons break decades-long dependence on plastic mesh while advancing treatment and better serving the patient.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Freedman to our team,” said Tela Bio president & CEO Antony Koblish. “Dr. Freedman adds a credible, experienced voice that will help distinguish us from the many larger, legacy companies.”