Impulse Dynamics Announces Leadership Changes

Jason Spees Appointed to Chief Executive Officer — Shlomi Nachman To Be Chairman and John Liddicoat To Join the Board of Directors — Expanding Depth of Medical Device Industry Leadership and Track Record of Driving Commercialization Success With Advanced Technology

MARLTON, N.J., Sept. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Impulse Dynamics plc, a global medical device company dedicated to improving the lives of people with heart failure, announced new leadership appointments, including Jason Spees to Chief Executive Officer, Shlomi Nachman to Chairman of the Board, and John Liddicoat, M.D., as a member of the Board of Directors. Spees was recently President and Chief Commercial Officer at Impulse Dynamics and brings a depth of medical device industry experience from commercial leadership roles. Nachman most recently was the Company Group Chairman at Johnson & Johnson, overseeing the Cardiovascular and Specialty Solutions & Vision Group. Liddicoat most recently served as Executive Vice President and President of the Americas Region and Enterprise Technology & Innovation function at Medtronic.

“I am pleased to lead the Impulse Dynamics team, focusing on a strong commercialization strategy and our commitment to an ongoing pace of innovation to change the course of treatment for patients living with heart failure,” said Spees. “We find ourselves in a unique position to capitalize on robust clinical data and a lineup of cutting-edge technologies, exemplified by the Integra-D™ trial featuring the groundbreaking single device that integrates our CCM^® technology with implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) technology. I look forward to working closely with the board and the leadership team to optimize the company for its next phase of commercial acceleration.”

“I am honored to join the board of an organization that has showcased substantial contributions to the advancement of heart failure treatment,” said Shlomi Nachman. “Over 64 million people suffer from heart failure, and many of those treated are not experiencing the higher quality of life they deserve. With CCM therapy and its future product pipeline, we are in the exciting position of being able to help millions of these patients to feel better and lead fuller lives,” Nachman added. “I’m looking forward to working with the leadership team and the board to ensure a direct path to ongoing innovation and commercial success.”

“I’ve been watching Impulse Dynamics and its technology from the sidelines for many years, and I am excited to now be able to join the team,” said Liddicoat. “I look forward to working with a strong leadership team to lead innovation-driven growth as we aim to enhance the standard of care for heart failure patients across the globe.”

Jason Spees joined the company as President and Chief Commercial Officer in July 2021. He brings more than two decades of successful leadership roles in the medical device industry. Spees was most recently Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Biotronik in the areas of cardiac rhythm management, cardiovascular intervention, peripheral vascular intervention, diagnostics, and digital health. Prior to Biotronik, Spees was the Chief Commercial Officer of Preventice Solutions, along with multiple leadership positions, including Vice President of Sales for Boston Scientific. He holds a B.S. in Operations Research and Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy and an M.A. in Public Management - Finance from the University of Maryland.

Shlomi Nachman was the Company Group Chairman of Cardiovascular and Specialty Solutions and Visions Group within Johnson & Johnson’s Medical Devices sector. Nachman was a member of the Medical Devices Group Operating Committee, where he led a diverse portfolio of six medical device businesses, including Electrophysiology, Neurovascular Intervention, Ear, Nose & Throat, Breast Aesthetics, Optometry and Ophthalmology. Before that, Nachman had various roles with increased scope and responsibilities, including Worldwide President of Biosense Webster and Cordis. His career at Johnson & Johnson spanned over 27 years, comprising multiple leadership positions with a proven track record of success that has recognized the ability to drive growth, innovation, and architect business turnarounds. Additionally, Nachman has accrued deep knowledge in all aspects of medical devices, such as general management, strategy, L&A, finance, product development, operations, sales and marketing, and research and development. Nachman was born in Israel and holds a B.S. in Management and Economics from the Technion Institute, as well as a diploma in electrical engineering from the Amal Technical School.

John Liddicoat brings a history of transformational leadership focused on execution. He spent 16 years at Medtronic, driving the strategic direction and global operations of increasing size and scope, including the Structural Heart, Cardiac Rhythm, and Heart Failure businesses. In his most recent role as Executive Vice President and President of the Americas region and the Enterprise Innovation and Technology function, he was responsible for designing and implementing go-to-market strategies to deliver above-market growth across North and South America. Liddicoat graduated medical school from the University of Chicago, completed a residency in general and cardiothoracic surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and served on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. An innovator and entrepreneur, he has also served as a consultant to venture capital firms and early-stage medical device companies.

About the Optimizer^® Integra CCM-D™ System and CCM^® Therapy

The Optimizer Integra CCM-D System is an investigational device that combines CCM therapy and ICD therapy into one device. This device is being used in an FDA-approved Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) study and is not available for sale in the United States.

Impulse Dynamics currently offers the Optimizer system that is FDA-approved and CE-marked. The Optimizer system delivers CCM therapy — the company’s proprietary technology — to the heart. CCM therapy has been designed by Impulse Dynamics to improve the heart’s contraction, allowing more oxygen-rich blood to be pushed out through the body. CCM therapy is indicated to improve the 6-minute hall walk, quality of life, and functional status of NYHA Class III heart failure patients who remain symptomatic despite guideline-directed medical therapy, are not indicated for CRT, and have a left ventricular ejection fraction ranging from 25 to 45 percent.

CCM therapy delivers non-excitatory electrical pulses from the implantable Optimizer device in a manner designed to improve heart contraction. CCM therapy sends unique electrical pulses to the heart cells during their absolute refractory period. Impulse Dynamics has completed numerous clinical studies, including several randomized controlled trials, and CCM therapy has been published in more than 120 peer-reviewed journal articles.

About Impulse Dynamics

Impulse Dynamics is dedicated to advancing the treatment of heart failure for patients and the healthcare providers who care for them. The company pioneered its proprietary CCM therapy, which uses the Optimizer technology platform to improve quality of life in heart failure patients. CCM therapy is delivered through the Optimizer system, which includes an IPG implanted in a minimally invasive procedure and approved for commercial use in the United States and 44 countries worldwide. More than 9,000 patients have received the therapy as part of clinical trials and real-world use, where it is proven to be safe and effective for heart failure patients with debilitating symptoms who otherwise have few effective options available to them. To learn more, visit www.ImpulseDynamics.com or follow the company on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as ‘‘may,’’ ‘‘will,’’ ‘‘should,’’ ‘‘expect,’’ ‘‘plan,’’ ‘‘anticipate,’’ ‘‘could,’’ ‘‘intend,’’ ‘‘target,’’ ‘‘project,’’ ‘‘contemplate,’’ ‘‘believe,’’ ‘‘estimate,’’ ‘‘predict,’’ ‘‘potential’’ or ‘‘continue’’ or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning potential benefits of CCM therapy, and CCM therapy combined with an ICD delivered via a single device (CCM-D), and the absence of risks associated therewith; the ability for CCM therapy and our products to fill a significant unmet medical need for patients with heart failure; and the short-term and long-term benefits of the Optimizer Integra CCM-D System and CCM therapy in patients with heart failure, as well as to the physicians treating those patients. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Other important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contemplated in this press release include, without limitation: the company’s future research and development costs, capital requirements and the company’s needs for additional financing; commercial success and market acceptance of CCM therapy; the company’s ability to achieve and maintain adequate levels of coverage or reimbursement for Optimizer systems or any future products the company may seek to commercialize; competitive companies and technologies in the industry; the company’s ability to expand its indications and develop and commercialize additional products and enhancements to its current products; the company’s business model and strategic plans for its products, technologies and business, including its implementation thereof; the company’s ability to expand, manage and maintain its direct sales and marketing organization; the company’s ability to commercialize or obtain regulatory approvals for CCM therapy and its products, or the effect of delays in commercializing or obtaining regulatory approvals; FDA or other U.S. or foreign regulatory actions affecting us or the healthcare industry generally, including healthcare reform measures in the United States and international markets; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals; and the company’s ability to establish and maintain intellectual property protection for CCM therapy and products or avoid claims of infringement. The company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements and expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

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