Michael Barbella, Managing Editor03.23.21
There's a new board chairman in charge at Gala Therapeutics Inc. (Gala).
The company has appointed Douglas Godshall as chairman. "We are delighted to name Doug Godshall, a proven and recognized leader in the medical device industry, as Board chair of our portfolio company Gala," said Seth Harrison, M.D., founder and managing partner of ATP. "ATP and Doug have enjoyed a long and productive relationship, and Gala will benefit from Doug's strategic insights and experience as the company's flagship device, the RheOx System, advances through pivotal trials and registration in the U.S."
Since 2017, Godshall has been president and CEO of Shockwave Medical, a medical device company developing a proprietary non-invasive treatment for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease that locally delivers sonic pressure waves to calcified plaque. From 2006 to 2016, Godshall was CEO and a director of HeartWare International, a medical device company created by Apple Tree Partners (ATP). HeartWare was acquired by Medtronic for $1.1 billion in 2016. Before HeartWare, Godshall held various executive leadership roles at Boston Scientific.
"I have been tracking Gala's progress for the past several years and continue to be impressed by the company's achievements," Godshall commented. "Gala has the core components in place: novel technology, an experienced team, breakthrough device designation, FDA approval to start the trial, and one of the largest untapped medtech market opportunities where drugs have failed. I look forward to working with the Gala team to build out the organization and make this therapy broadly available to patients."
Other members of the Gala Therapeutics board include Harrison and Jonathan Waldstreicher, M.D., Gala Therapeutics founder and CEO, and a partner at ATP.
Godshall currently serves on the boards of Shockwave Medical and Eyepoint Pharmaceuticals as well as the board of the Medical Device Manufacturer's Association. He earned an M.B.A. from Northeastern University and a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Lafayette College.
RheOx is a bronchoscopic system designed by Gala Therapeutics to reduce mucus-producing cells in patients with chronic bronchitis. The technology includes an electrosurgical generator and a single-use catheter that together deliver non-thermal energy to the airways to reduce the number of abnormal mucus-producing cells in the lungs, making way for new normal cells to redevelop. Patients treated with RheOx have reported improvements in symptoms and quality of life. RheOx received CE certification in 2019 in the EU and is currently under evaluation in pivotal trials in the United States.
The company has appointed Douglas Godshall as chairman. "We are delighted to name Doug Godshall, a proven and recognized leader in the medical device industry, as Board chair of our portfolio company Gala," said Seth Harrison, M.D., founder and managing partner of ATP. "ATP and Doug have enjoyed a long and productive relationship, and Gala will benefit from Doug's strategic insights and experience as the company's flagship device, the RheOx System, advances through pivotal trials and registration in the U.S."
Since 2017, Godshall has been president and CEO of Shockwave Medical, a medical device company developing a proprietary non-invasive treatment for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease that locally delivers sonic pressure waves to calcified plaque. From 2006 to 2016, Godshall was CEO and a director of HeartWare International, a medical device company created by Apple Tree Partners (ATP). HeartWare was acquired by Medtronic for $1.1 billion in 2016. Before HeartWare, Godshall held various executive leadership roles at Boston Scientific.
"I have been tracking Gala's progress for the past several years and continue to be impressed by the company's achievements," Godshall commented. "Gala has the core components in place: novel technology, an experienced team, breakthrough device designation, FDA approval to start the trial, and one of the largest untapped medtech market opportunities where drugs have failed. I look forward to working with the Gala team to build out the organization and make this therapy broadly available to patients."
Other members of the Gala Therapeutics board include Harrison and Jonathan Waldstreicher, M.D., Gala Therapeutics founder and CEO, and a partner at ATP.
Godshall currently serves on the boards of Shockwave Medical and Eyepoint Pharmaceuticals as well as the board of the Medical Device Manufacturer's Association. He earned an M.B.A. from Northeastern University and a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Lafayette College.
RheOx is a bronchoscopic system designed by Gala Therapeutics to reduce mucus-producing cells in patients with chronic bronchitis. The technology includes an electrosurgical generator and a single-use catheter that together deliver non-thermal energy to the airways to reduce the number of abnormal mucus-producing cells in the lungs, making way for new normal cells to redevelop. Patients treated with RheOx have reported improvements in symptoms and quality of life. RheOx received CE certification in 2019 in the EU and is currently under evaluation in pivotal trials in the United States.
