Avenda Health Adds to its Board of Directors and Advisory Board

Avenda Health, a software and medical device company developing an AI-based focal laser ablation system for prostate treatment, has announced additions to the company’s board of directors and its advisory board. Michael S. Klein, chairman and CEO of iCAD, a global medical technology company providing cancer detection and therapy solutions, will serve as an independent member of the board. Dr. Simon Stertzer, a cardiologist, professor and investigator with vast contributions in cardiology, will serve as a medical advisor.
 
“We are grateful to have the guidance of Mr. Klein and Dr. Stertzer as they bring distinctive industry and medical expertise to Avenda at a pivotal time as we transition from a development-focused company to a commercial-stage company,” said Shyam Natarajan, co-founder and CEO of Avenda Health. “Having these professionals join our team speaks to the potential that our technology has in transforming today’s standard of care by using image-guided laser ablation and artificial intelligence to offer patients a personalized treatment for prostate cancer.”
 
Klein, an industry veteran with nearly 40 years of commercial leadership experience in medtech, pharma and healthcare, has led a range of organizations from large Fortune 200 companies to startup ventures at the threshold of a commercial ramp. His current company, iCAD, recently received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for AI breast cancer imaging. Klein’s experience in the commercialization of artificial intelligence and machine learning in imaging will be propitious for Avenda.
 
“Personalized medicine that addresses the root of the problem is the future of medicine,” said Klein. “Avenda’s focal laser ablation technology is a novel approach that uses AI to treat only the tumor instead of the entire prostate, minimizing side effects to the patient. This is an exciting advancement and I am pleased to be able to work with Avenda to bring this technology to the masses.”
 
Dr. Stertzer, a well-known innovator in cardiovascular intervention, has spent his career improving treatment modalities in cardiovascular disease. A close colleague of the late Andreas R. Gruentzig, M.D., the pioneer of balloon angioplasty (PTCA) in Switzerland, Dr. Stertzer was the first to perform PTCA in the United States in 1978. Dr. Stertzer’s contributions to clinical cardiology include the advancement of rotational atherectomy, sheathless coronary and drug delivery stents, cardiac transplant molecular diagnostics, and currently, direct stem cell implantation into the heart muscle of patients with heart failure. Dr. Stertzer is Professor Emeritus at Stanford University.
 
“Today’s standard treatment options for prostate cancer typically involve extremely invasive surgery or uncertain therapy of the entire prostate gland,” said Dr. Stertzer. “Avenda’s approach is a major advancement because it minimizes the impact on healthy tissue, without compromising urinary or sexual function. Furthermore, Avenda’s approach does not limit future treatment options should patients need it. I look forward to working with this team to advance the science behind this approach with the hopes of improving the quality of life for prostate cancer patients.”
 
Avenda Health is the only image-guided ablation system (pending FDA clearance) that leverages artificial intelligence to optimize tumor treatment, minimizing side effects for the patient. Unlike other options, this approach has the potential to offer patients a personalized treatment performed in-office using local anesthesia, potentially allowing them to quickly return to their daily activities without compromising their quality of life. Also, because this is a minimally invasive and local treatment, it doesn’t close the door for future treatment options should patients need it.