Transverse Medical has announced the appointment of Ian T Meredith to the board of directors.
Meredith brings over 35 years of experience and global leadership in cardiology coupled with successful clinical trials and device commercialisation of multiple interventional devices.
Transverse Medical is developing the Point-Guard cerebral embolic protection device, to to protect patients from embolic debris that are dislodged and released into the cerebral blood flow that could lead to periprocedural stroke as a result of the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedure.
Meredith has agreed to join the company’s board of directors as an independent member. He retired from Boston Scientific in April 2023 following six years serving as its executive vice president and global chief medical officer.
During his tenure at Boston Scientific, Meredith held executive responsibility over the global leadership of medical affairs, trial strategy, and clinical science for the company. Notably, his involvement with the Boston Scientific acquisition of Claret Medical and the Sentinel cerebral embolic protection technology. Under his tenure, subsequent post-market approval clinical studies focused on stroke reduction and the clinical merits of cerebral embolic protection during TAVI.
“I’m looking forward to Dr Meredith joining the board of directors for his corporate experience and board role, as well as his medical and clinical expertise in support of the success of the next generation Point-Guard and the company’s future clinical plans and strategy,” said Eric Goslau, president & CEO of Transverse Medical. “I’ve admired and followed Dr Meredith throughout his career, and it gives me great pleasure to welcome him to the board.”
Michael Reardon, Transverse Medical’s Chief Medical Officer, remarked: “I have the highest respect for Dr Meredith for all that he has contributed to the cardiovascular space. I’m enthusiastic about him joining the company’s board and especially for his expertise and success with clinical trial design and medical device market introduction. I’m confident that his successful experience will help bring the Point-Guard device through a successful trial and subsequently to market.”
Meredith stated: “I’m a great believer in the need for meaningful cerebral embolic protection in the setting of invasive and surgical cardiac procedures. Although embolic stroke is a low frequency event following complex coronary interventions and structural heart procedures, I have witnessed the devastating and debilitating impact of embolic stroke on patient’s lives. A stroke rate of zero is the goal. This is why I was and remain particularly supportive of Boston Scientific’s move to acquire Claret in 2018. I also believe an unmet need remains and improvement is needed with cerebral embolic protection. There are many cerebral embolic protection devices in development, but I’m most impressed with the Point-Guard design and solution for full brain protection given its simplicity and unique device attributes.
“Joining Transverse Medical’s board of directors continues my mission to support and contribute to bringing needed medical technologies to all patients around the world. It still chills me when I recollect that patients would often express to me, as I outlined the potential risks of TAVI, their deeply personal reservations such as ‘I am older, I have had a good life, I am not fearful of dying, I just fear having a stroke’.”
