InspireMD Hires New Chief Operating Officer

Embolic stent maker InspireMD has appointed James Barry, Ph.D. as chief operating officer. Barry, who has more than two decades of experience in the medical device industry, will be based in the company’s Boston, Mass. headquarters.

Barry will focus on three critical performance areas: advancing the product pipeline including finalizing the drug eluting stent MGuard platform; managing all global clinical trial activities and driving the operational activities to systematically enhance quality and reduce product costs, including finalizing the outsourcing of the manufacturing activities of the company.

“Jim’s deep experience in developing next generation medical devices is particularly relevant at this phase of our growth,” commented Alan Milinazzo, CEO of InspireMD. “We are delighted to have Jim join us and we expect to immediately benefit from his leadership in several critical areas of the business. Leading organizations through research and development, clinical trial activities and the production of novel medical devices is what Jim does best. In particular, during his tenure at Boston Scientific Jim was central to the success achieved in identifying and developing next generation drug eluting stents.”

For more than 18 years, Barry held senior roles at Boston Scientific Corporation. Barry initiated and oversaw the development of Boston Scientific’s Taxus stent which quickly became the number one selling drug eluting stent worldwide. He also oversaw the development of the technology that is employed in the next generation Synergy Everolimus-Eluting Stent System, which received CE mark in November 2012.

Barry currently serves on a number of advisory boards including the College of Biomedical Engineering at Yale University, the College of Sciences at University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and the Massachusetts Life Science Center.

Barry holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from St. Anselm College and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Massachusetts.