InnovHeart Appoints New Chief Executive Officer and Board Member

InnovHeart s.r.l., developer of transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) systems for the treatment of cardiac disease, has appointed experienced medical device executive Jason Bottiglieri as CEO and executive member of the Board of Directors. Former CEO and founder Giovanni Righini will continue to serve the company as chief technology officer and as member of the board.
 
Bottiglieri has more than 22 years of experience in the medical device industry, including 18 in the interventional cardiovascular market. Before joining InnovHeart, Bottiglieri was CEO of Infraredx, a startup company developing an intravascular imaging system for the detection of lipid core plaque in coronary artery disease. Under his leadership, Infraredx was acquired by Nipro Corporation, confirming him as CEO of the company. Prior to Infraredx, Bottiglieri was one of the founding U.S. sales leaders in the Italy-based Invatec company. During this period Invatec was acquired by Medtronic plc and became the foundation of its peripheral vascular business unit. Bottiglieri’s management experience also includes leadership positions at Spectranetics Corp. and Cordis, a Johnson & Johnson company, where he directed global training and was part of a core team assembled to launch the world’s first drug-eluting stent (Cypher).  
 
“The Saturn mitral valve and delivery system is very unique with clinically important features that could prove game changing for patients,” said Bottiglieri. “Under Giovanni’s leadership the company has made extraordinary advancements in a very short time frame. I am honored and inspired by the opportunity to join this talented team and look forward to making InnovHeart’s technology the gold standard for mitral valve replacement.” 
 
Board Chairman Dr. Keith Dawkins added, ‘We are delighted that Jason has joined InnovHeart. He brings an impressive medical device industry skill-set that will fit well with the company philosophy. It is an important time for InnovHeart, and I am confident that under Jason’s leadership, we will realize the goal of bringing our unique minimally invasive Saturn technology to the treatment of patients with mitral valve disease.
 
InnovHeart s.r.l., with operations in Colleretto Giacosa (Italy) and Poway, Calif., develops the Saturn System, a transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) platform intended to treat patients suffering from mitral valve disease. Saturn’s design allows the clinician to accurately deliver the prosthesis in the anatomically correct position, providing a stable and durable anchorage and sealing to the implant site. The system’s sub-annular ring affords inverse remodeling of the mitral annulus, and the low profile of the prosthesis ensures unimpeded flow from the left ventricle after implantation. The company is in late preclinical development of the Saturn TA System designed for trans-apical delivery, and planned to enter human use the first half of next year. A trans-septal system is also in development and will enter human studies following transapical validation.
 
InnovHeart is backed by Genextra S.p.A, Italian holding company specialized in early-stage investments in the life sciences sector.