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Affluent Medical Strengthens Its Executive Team

Written by: Mike Wood
Published on: 5 Jun 2019

Aix-en-Provence, France, June 5th, 2019 - Affluent Medical, a French medtech company specialized in innovative, minimally invasive implants designed to restore key physiological functions for patients suffering from heart and vascular diseases, as well as urinary incontinence, today announced the strengthening of its executive team.

In the lead-up to an intense phase of clinical activities over the next 24 months, which will culminate in its first CE marks by 2021, the Group is strengthening its executive team to focus on and serve three main objectives:

  • Secure the manufacturing process and large-scale production of its devices,
  • Monitor and complete parallel clinical studies in Europe, the U.S and China,
  • Prepare for regulatory approvals and pre-market activities, with the aim to launch its first products in 2021,

Vincent Gardès, Chairman of Affluent Medical's Board of Directors said:

"Affluent Medical has recently made substantial advances and is now rapidly entering into an intense phase of clinical trials. Our renewed executive team which includes key additional skills, will allow the Group to boost and secure the validation of its products towards their regulatory approval while seizing any new business development opportunity along the way. Michel's international and unique experience in the Medtech and Biotech industries will bring strong leadership to Affluent Medical's team."

Michel Finance, CEO of Affluent Medical indicates:

"I'm thrilled to join Affluent Medical's team as a leader of the Group during this pivotal period, including such key steps as product validation and market access. Affluent Medical has a unique and highly innovative portfolio of medical devices and the whole team is committed to bring them to market to provide the best therapeutic options to both surgeons and patients."

Mr. Michel Finance - CEO

For the last 8 years, Michel Finance was the CEO of Theradiag, a company listed on Euronext Growth. Prior to that Michel was the first CEO of Carmat where he organized the spin off and the set-up of the company. He acquired a very large experience in the healthcare industry in both Europe and North America in the past 32 years and more specifically in general management and in leading IPOs. He was Deputy General Manager of Flamel Technologies, a publicly traded biotech company on the Nasdaq. He spent 19 years at Aventis (now Sanofi) where he was Senior Vice President of Aventis Group. Michel is a board member and is a Vice President of France Biotech, the French association of life sciences entrepreneurs. He Graduated from EM Lyon Business School (France) and is a Certified Accountant.

Professor François Laborde - Chief Clinical and Scientific Affairs Officer

Professor François Laborde is a Cardiac Surgeon, before joining Affluent Medical he co-founded and leaded as CEO the IMMR (private structure and world class pre-clinical CRO. www.imm-recherche.com) for 30 years, he was also Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

Before that he spent twenty years as the head of the adult and pediatric medico-surgical department of cardiology at "l'Institut Mutualiste Montsouris" private non-profit Hospital based in Paris. During this period, he served in the Army health service as chief professor of thoracic and cardio-vascular surgery in different Army training hospitals.

Francois is Doctor in Medicine 1981 and faculty professor of thoracic and cardio-vascular surgery University Paris V in 2000.

Ms. Marianna Luppi - Regulatory Affairs Director

Ms. Luppi has a successful international 12-year experience combining strategic and operational responsibilities in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Before joining Affluent Medical, Marianna Luppi was Senior Regulatory Affairs Manager at Philips Consumer Lifestyle (PH CL), Regulatory Affairs Director APAC and Corporate Regulatory Affairs Manager for Medical Devices at Sinclair Pharmaceuticals Ltd in Paris and Milan, as well as European Regulatory Affairs Manager at Sorin Group (now LivaNova).

Marianna has a Ph. D in Molecular Biology and Protein Structure by NMR - Scientific and Technological Dept. Verona in Italy.

  

Mr. Brian Burg - Cardiovascular program director

Previously, Brian Burg was Senior R&D Manager at CorWave in Paris, where he was responsible for the design and development of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Before that he was Project Leader at Wyss Translational Center in Zurich (Switzerland), leading the research and development of an ex vivo liver perfusion machine.

Brian Burg has a Ph. D in Science from ETH Zurich (Switzerland), and completed out postdoctoral studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

About Affluent Medical

Affluent Medical is a French medtech company founded by Truffle Capital with the ambition to become a European leader in the treatment of heart and vascular diseases, which are the world's leading cause of death, and of urinary incontinence, which today affects one in four adults. Affluent Medical is developing innovative, next-generation minimally invasive implants to restore key physiological functions in these areas. The company's four major technologies are currently in preclinical and clinical phases, and first medical devices are expected to be launched by 2021.

For more information: www.affluentmedical.com