Christopher von Jako Named CEO of Polarean Imaging

Polarean Imaging plc has appointed Christopher von Jako, Ph.D., as CEO and director. He succeeds Richard Hullihen, who is retiring but will assist the company in a transitional position through year’s end.

Since his appointment as CEO in 2017, Hullihen has overseen significant progress for Polarean. He led the company through its successful IPO in 2018 and more than $60 million of capital raises, culminating in Polarean receiving U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of XENOVIEW (Xenon Xe129 hyperpolarized) for use with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate lung ventilation in adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older, and the initiation of the company’s commercial phase. “I am very proud of what we have achieved at Polarean since I was appointed in 2017. The company is firmly on the path to success, and as a long-term shareholder, I look forward to seeing it continue to grow,” Hullihen said.

“Richard has played a pivotal role in getting Polarean to the position it is in today, with XENOVIEW approved for use by the FDA with MRI for the evaluation of lung ventilation in adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older, and our commercialization plan underway,” Polarean Chairman Kenneth West said. “On behalf of the board, I’d like to thank Richard for his contribution to the business and we wish him well in his retirement.”
 
With 30 years of global healthcare leadership experience, Dr. von Jako has led both private and publicly listed businesses, with a proven track record of commercialization while developing and executing sound business and operating strategies. He has experience across numerous healthcare sectors, including radiology, pulmonology, and various surgical interventions.
 
Dr. von Jako most recently was president and CEO of BrainsWay, a developer of advanced non-invasive neurostimulation treatments for mental health disorders. At BrainsWay, he launched five key differentiated products, obtained numerous reimbursement coverages, and executed an equity investment with a follow-on raise of more than $45 million, comprised of top-tier U.S. medtech investors. Before Brainsway, Dr. von Jako was CEO of Dynatronics from 2018 to 2019, where he developed a new growth strategy focused on driving sales, business development, and proactive investor relations. Prior to Dynatronics, Dr. von Jako was president and CEO of NinePoint Medical Inc., a medical imaging company, where he successfully secured a significant strategic investment and long-term partnership with Merit Medical Systems Inc. He also served as president and CEO of NeuroTherm Inc., a pain management business, until its acquisition by St. Jude Medical Corporation. Earlier in his career, Dr. von Jako worked in senior executive roles of progressive responsibility with other medical device companies such as Integra LifeSciences, Covidien, Medtronic, and Radionics.

“I would like to welcome Chris to Polarean. His extensive experience in leading commercial-stage medtech companies, and his training and expertise in radiology will be an excellent fit for Polarean as we continue our dual strategy of achieving commercial sales of XENOVIEW and establishing strategic industry collaborations to accelerate growth in the U.S. and internationally,” West stated.
 
Dr. von Jako will continue to serve as an independent director on the board of nView medical Inc., a privately held medtech imaging company that generates real-time 3D images using advanced AI solutions for surgery. He earned a double bachelor of science degree from Bates College, a master of science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. degree from the University of Pécs Medical School.

“I am delighted to be joining Polarean at this stage of the company’s development,” Dr. von Jako said. “I believe our current and future advanced imaging platform will make a big difference to clinicians in helping manage their patients’ lung conditions, and I look forward to working with the team to roll XENOVIEW out as widely as possible.”
 
Polarean Imaging and its wholly owned subsidiary, Polarean Inc. are revenue-generating, medical imaging technology companies operating in the high-resolution medical imaging space. Polarean aspires to revolutionize pulmonary medicine by bringing the power and safety of MRI to the respiratory healthcare community in need of new solutions to evaluate lung ventilation. This may help diagnose disease, characterize disease progression, and monitor response to treatment. Polarean’s vision is to help address the global unmet medical needs of more than 500 million patients worldwide suffering with chronic respiratory disease. Polarean is a leader in hyperpolarization science and has successfully developed the first and only hyperpolarized MRI contrast agent to be approved in the United States. On Dec. 23, 2022, the FDA granted approval for Polarean’s first drug device combination product, XENOVIEW (Xenon Xe129hyperpolarized). Xe129 MRI is also currently being studied for visualization and quantification of gas exchange regionally in the smallest airways of the lungs, across the alveolar tissue membrane, and into the pulmonary bloodstream for the development of future potential clinical indications.