Helius Medical Technologies Names New Chief Medical Officer

Helius Medical Technologies has appointed Jonathan Sackier, M.D., as chief medical officer (CMO).

Sackier brings to his role more than 30 years of industry experience as an innovator and pioneer of new technologies. He is widely recognized as one of the leaders of the the laparoscopic surgery revolution.

“I am honored to be part of such an important area of neurological science to help bring promising new technologies for patients seeking symptom relief. It represents one of the largest areas of unmet medical needs and I am proud to be a part of this growing company,” Sackier said.

A trained surgeon, Sackier has helped build several companies including medical technology, research and product-design and medical contract sales organizations. He also has collaborated extensively with pharmaceutical and medical device technology partners including Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Pfizer Inc., Karl Storz, Applied Medical Resources Corporation, Stryker Corp., Siemens AG, Bayer AG and Novartis AG.

Prior to joining Helius, Sackier served as chairman of Adenosine Therapeutics LLC, which became part of Clinical Data and then Forest Laboratories Inc. He worked to develop and market the Aesop robot with Computer Motion Inc., which successfully completed an IPO. He also founded Genethics, which patented and licensed amniotic stem cell technology.

As a professor at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Sackier founded and funded the Washington Institute of Surgical Endoscopy, a center for education, research, innovation and technology transfer. He currently is a pro bono Visiting Professor of Surgery at the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences at Oxford University in England.

“Jonathan Sackier is a highly regarded national health care expert who not only understands the challenges of health care today, but has experience bringing new technologies to market. As Helius plans to increase its clinical activity, we are very pleased to have Dr. Sackier not only as the chair of our Scientific Advisory Board but also in the key position of chief medical officer,” said Philippe Deschamps, CEO of Helius.

Sackier sits on the board of directors of Kypha LLC, Clinvue LLC, and Hemoshear. He is board chairman of The Load Zero Foundation and a trustee of First Star and previously chaired The Larry King Cardiac Foundation Board of Governors. He also has served as a board member of the American College of Surgeons Foundation, the Surgical Fellowship Foundation and Rex Bionics plc. He is the winner of London’s 2014 AIM Award for outstanding achievement for most successful growth market.

A keen pilot, Sackier advises the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA) on medical issues germane to pilots and authors the “Fly Well” column in the group’s Pilot magazine.

Based in Newtown, Pa., Helius Medical Technologies is a medical technology holding company that develops, licenses and acquires non-invasive treatments disease- or trauma-related neurological disorders. The company is planning to file for U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance for the Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (PoNS) device, a non-invasive brain stimulation product that is being developed to treat balance disorder in patients with mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury. The PoNS is an investigational medical device designed to induce neuromodulation by stimulating the cranial nerves found in the tongue.