Frank brings over 20 years experience in
cutting-edge orthobiologics research, with previous roles at
NuVasive, SeaSpine and most recently as Chief Scientific Officer at
Orthofix.
FREDERICK, Md., April 16,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Theradaptive, the market leader
in targeted regenerative therapeutics, today announced the
expansion of its senior leadership team with the appointment of Dr.
Frank Vizesi, Ph.D. as Chief Scientific Officer.
Frank joins from Orthofix, where he was Chief Scientific
Officer, and brings over two decades of experience in
orthobiologics and spinal fusion. He is a highly respected
biomedical scientist who has been at the forefront of spinal fusion
research throughout his career. He is passionate about driving
progress in the field and bringing new technologies to surgeons
that deliver improved outcomes for patients.
"I have dedicated my career to developing the best solutions for
spinal fusion, and I am delighted to be part of a team that is
developing by far the most exciting innovation I have seen in the
space," said Dr. Frank Vizesi, Chief Scientific Officer at
Theradaptive. "Theradaptive has the potential to transform the
standard of care with OsteoAdapt, and I am looking forward to
working with the team to build the clinical data and scientific
evidence we need to bring OsteoAdapt SP to patients in the clinic
in the shortest timeframe possible."
"Frank's deep experience in orthobiologics and spinal fusion is
an incredible asset for Theradaptive and will be game-changing as
we continue to transform into a clinical-stage organization," said
Dr. Luis Alvarez, Theradaptive
Founder and CEO. "He shares our passion for unlocking the vast
potential of targeted therapeutic proteins and we are delighted to
have him on board for the next stage of Theradaptive's journey as
we progress in spinal fusion and continue to demonstrate the wider
applications of our protein engineering platform in an increasing
number of disease areas."
Frank is a natural leader, and his experience will be invaluable
in shaping and guiding the industry-leading clinical and scientific
team at Theradaptive as it continues to expand with the business.
His initial priority will be working alongside the clinical and
regulatory team to aid in the successful execution of the
OsteoAdapt clinical study program and navigate the path to U.S.
Food & Drug Administration (F.D.A.) approval, bringing this
groundbreaking new approach to patients. Frank will also support
Theradaptive's ongoing label expansion into sports medicine,
dental, and craniomaxillofacial indications using their
clinical-stage AMP2 asset.
A GROWING NEED FOR TREATMENT INNOVATION
There is an increasingly urgent need for therapeutic advances in
the spinal fusion landscape, as the demand for spinal fusion
surgery continues to increase in line with our aging population.
40% of adults over 40 have at least one degenerated disc and this
proportion rises to 80% in adults aged 80 and over. Currently 1 in
6 Americans is over 65, representing a huge and growing population
of people living with spinal degeneration.
A UNIQUE APPROACH
Theradaptive is on a mission to unlock the vast potential of
protein therapeutics to meet urgent patient unmet needs. Its unique
protein engineering platform takes existing therapeutic proteins
and create variants that are material-binding, or 'sticky',
allowing them to be applied to the surface of an implant or device,
like a coat of paint. This gives surgeons significantly greater
control around where the protein is placed and how it behaves in
the body, overcoming many of the current challenges associated with
the clinical use of therapeutic proteins.
Its lead product, OsteoAdapt SP, is a spinal fusion implant
coated in a layer of a powerful bone formation protein called
AMP-2, making its entire surface bioactive. Once placed at the site
of fusion, AMP-2 cannot disperse away and is readily available to
trigger the cellular pathways that drive bone formation. OsteoAdapt
SP has been awarded three breakthrough device designations by the
U.S. F.D.A., and the first global clinical study to assess its
effectiveness and safety in spinal fusion began in April 2024.
ABOUT THERADAPTIVE
Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Maryland, U.S.,
Theradaptive is a venture-backed, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical
and medical device company with the goal of leveraging its
therapeutic delivery platform to deliver biologics where they are
needed in the body with high local precision and high persistence
to address unmet medical needs. Theradaptive's innovative platform
is enabling the development of new therapeutics in spine,
orthopedics, sports medicine, dental, and soft tissue repair as
well as targeted immuno-oncology.
The work was supported in part by the Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Health Affairs endorsed by the Department of Defense,
in the amount of $7,408,939, through
the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program under Award No.
HT9425-23-1-0693, bringing Theradaptive's total non-dilutive grant
funding to approximately $30M.
Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are
those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs or the Department
of Defense.
Contact: Harry Warne
Phone: +44 7463 942573
Email: Harry@flamepr.com
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SOURCE Theradaptive