Former Zimmer Biomet Interim CEO Joins Pulmonix Board of Directors

Pulmonx Corporation, a commercial-stage medical technology company that provides a minimally invasive treatment for patients with severe emphysema, announced that Daniel Florin has joined its Board of Directors.
 
Florin has been serving as executive vice president at Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. since July 2019. Previously, he served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Zimmer Biomet. In addition, he served as Interim CEO of Zimmer Biomet from July 2017 to December 2017. Prior to working at Zimmer Biomet, Florin was senior vice president and chief financial officer of Biomet Inc. until Biomet merged with Zimmer and became Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. Prior to working at Biomet, he held various roles at Boston Scientific Corporation, C.R. Bard Inc. and Deloitte & Touche LLP.
 
“I am truly excited to join the Pulmonx board and be part of this experienced team,” said Florin. “I look forward to helping Pulmonx continue the important work of bringing minimally invasive solutions to patients suffering with severe emphysema, a form of COPD.”
 
“I am very pleased Dan has agreed to join the Pulmonx Board of Directors,” said Glen French, president and CEO. “His financial and operating experience will be incredibly beneficial to Pulmonx as we continue our growth in the coming years. I look forward to working with and learning from him.”
 
The Zephyr Valve was granted breakthrough status and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2018, because according to the FDA Summary of Safety and Effectiveness Data (June 29, 2018), it “represents a breakthrough technology as the device offers bronchoscopic lung volume reduction without surgery and its associated risks. This device offers a significant, clinically meaningful advantage over the current standard of care and therefore, its availability is also in the best interest of patients.” 
Since 2007 more than 15,000 patients have been treated with the Zephyr Valve worldwide. The Zephyr Valve treatment is recommended at the same level as lung volume reduction surgery in the United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guidance on the managed of COPD and the GOLD strategy document for the management of COPD (cardio obstructive pulmonary disease).
 
COPD is a progressive, life-threatening lung disease that includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. More than 65 million people suffer with COPD globally and it is estimated that 3.2 million deaths were caused by the disease in 2015 (5 percent of all deaths globally, according to World Health Organization and other data. Despite taking the best available medications, many COPD and emphysema patients suffer symptoms of hyperinflation, where air becomes trapped in the lungs and prevents fresh air from entering the lungs and thereby causing severe shortness of breath. As a result, patients experience shortness of breath, gradually losing their ability to engage in the most basic daily activities such as climbing a flight of stairs, walking or showering. There are few treatment options for most patients with emphysema and there is no cure. Until now, beyond medication therapy, the only other options for these patients were highly invasive treatments such as lung volume reduction surgery or lung transplantation.