Lee Smith Jr. Named Head of Commercial at Element Science

Element Science has appointed Lee Smith Jr. as the company’s first Head of Commercial. With nearly 20 years of leadership experience in sales, commercial operations, and customer success, Smith will be instrumental in driving the global launch and expansion of the company’s Jewel Patch Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillator (P-WCD).
 
The Jewel P-WCD has earned CE mark certification and Great Britain’s UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking; the product currently is under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 
 
Smith’s extensive experience, particularly most recently as Head of Commercial of Philips’ Ambulatory and Diagnostic Monitoring Group, will shape Element Science’s strategic approach to commercialization. He will concentrate on building a commercial team, developing effective and patient-focused sales strategies, and ensuring an unparalleled customer success experience for stakeholders. He will also be responsible for overseeing the company’s field clinical operations, providing hands-on leadership during the launch phase.
 
“We are thrilled to welcome Lee Smith Jr. to our leadership team as our first Head of Commercial,” Element Science President/CEO Dr. Uday N. Kumar. “His track record in building successful commercial teams and leading them through new product launches will be invaluable as we prepare for the anticipated commercialization of the Jewel P-WCD. Further, given my deep belief in the importance of focusing on the patient experience when developing wearable technologies, I know that Lee’s direct leadership and experience with products squarely focused on patients aligns extremely well with our goal of redefining cardiovascular patient care during the hospital to home transition.”
 
Commercialization under Smith is a significant step in Element Science’s journey toward achieving its short- and long-term goals of penetrating the market for clinical grade therapeutic wearables built around advanced machine learning algorithms. Under Smith, the Jewel P-WCD’s launch in key markets, including in areas with historically different access to cutting-edge technologies, could help establish Element Science as a leader in digital health technology.

In addition to key leadership roles in major healthcare technology companies, Smith was also responsible for leading several mergers and acquisitions and strategically restructuring sales forces, which resulted in increased productivity. His entrepreneurial spirit and tenacity have earned him multiple Presidents Clubs and Manager of the Year Awards, highlighting his commitment to excellence in commercial leadership.
 
“I’m very excited to join Element Science and contribute to the launch of the Jewel P-WCD,” Smith said. “The company’s focus on wearable health technology and patient-centric solutions is inspiring. I look forward to working with the team at Element Science to bring this life-saving technology to patients.”
 
The Jewel P-WCD is limited to investigational use only and is not available for sale in the United States. The product is a novel, water resistant wearable defibrillator designed to detect and treat life-threatening arrhythmias in patients with a temporarily elevated risk for sudden cardiac arrest. The device continuously monitors a patient’s heart and treats specific life-threatening rhythms. It is designed for continued protection during normal daily activities, including showering, sleeping, and moderate exercise. The Jewel Mobile App enables timely patient care by transmitting therapy information to the patient’s medical team in near real-time.
 
Element Science, Inc. is a medical device and digital health company developing solutions at the intersection of clinical-grade wearables, machine learning algorithms, and lifesaving therapies that address leading causes of death and hospitalization in patients with heart disease, primarily as they transition from the hospital to the home. Its personalized digital devices are designed for function, comfort, and ease-of-use; they aim to redefine the paradigm of care for these patients. Its first product, a wearable patch defibrillator, is initially targeted at treating more than 500,000 patients in the United States and Europe with an elevated temporary risk of potentially experiencing a lethal heart rhythm. Based in San Francisco, the company’s funders include Third Rock Ventures, Google Ventures, Deerfield Management, Qiming Venture Partners USA, Cormorant Asset Management, and Invus Opportunities.