JenaValve Names New CEO

JenaValve Technology, Inc., a privately held, venture-backed developer of transcatheter aortic valve implantation systems for the treatment of aortic valve disease, named medical device industry veteran David J. Drachman as the company’s new CEO.

Drachman brings nearly 30 years of leadership in the cardiovascular medical device industry, including the advancement of cardiovascular devices from concept to commercial success in markets around the world. From January 2002 to September 2012, Drachman served as president and CEO of AtriCure, an atrial fibrillation (AF) medical device firm.

“Mr. Drachman is joining JenaValve at a key point in the Company’s evolution,” said Chairman of the Board Raymond W. Cohen. “David is a recognized leader who is highly competitive and up to the challenge of positioning JenaValve as a significant player in the TAVI space. The board and I look forward to working closely with David to achieve those goals.”

Prior to AtriCure, Drachman held key executive positions at Biosense Webster, today a Johnson & Johnson company, where he led initial commercialization efforts in the European and U.S. markets. Previously, Drachman served as acting CEO, Worldwide President & Director of Impulse Dynamics and held leadership positions at Ventritex and Boston Scientific.

“JenaValve has developed and commercialized a truly unique TAVI system that has proven advantages for both physicians and patients,” Drachman said. “The company now seeks to translate its innovation into a broader product platform, complete clinical study work and gain the CE mark for our transfemoral pericardial tissue TAVI product, accelerate commercial growth in Europe and aggressively pursue serving new and larger geographies, including the United States and China.”

Former CEO Helmut J. Straubinger said: “The last eight years have been the most exciting period in my professional life. After having built JenaValve from scratch to a solid, well respected company with excellent products, it is time now for the next big step for the company. I have no doubt that David has the expertise to enlarge JenaValve’s international presence and lead the Company going forward.”

The JenaValve is a second-generation catheter-based aortic valve implantation system engineered and manufactured to the highest quality standards. The JenaValve transapical (inserted through an incision in the chest between the ribs) TAVI system is currently being sold in Europe and other markets around the world for aortic stenosis and aortic insufficiency. To date, the JenaValve system is the only TAVI product that has a CE mark to treat patients with aortic insufficiency. The company’s transfemoral (through an incision in the leg) TAVI system entered into a first-in-man clinical study at the end of 2013 and is anticipated to be commercially available for sale in Europe in 2015.

JenaValve is based in Munich, Germany, and Irvine, Calif.