HOUSTON, TX (March 22nd, 2016) – Procyrion, the Houston-based developer of a percutaneous circulatory assist device intended to treat chronic heart failure, announced today that Gary Burbach will be joining its board of directors. Burbach currently serves as a director or advisor to multiple private, venture-backed and public life science companies.
“Gary has extraordinary experience and deep roots in the mechanical circulatory support field. He is well respected in both the clinical and business communities and we are delighted to have him join Procyrion’s board of directors,” said Ben Hertzog, Procyrion CEO.
From 2006 to 2014, Mr. Burbach served as president, chief executive officer, and director of Thoratec Corporation, a worldwide leader in mechanical circulatory support (MCS) technology for the treatment of advanced heart failure (HF). Mr. Burbach led the transformation of Thoratec into a scalable and enduring leader in acute and chronic MCS. During his 8-year tenure with Thoratec, revenues were increased from $125 million to $500 million and corporate net income grew from 7% to 15% of sales. In addition to revenue growth, he successfully led premarket approval clinical trials for the HeartMate II Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) to receive Bridge to Transplantation and Destination Therapy approvals.
“I am honored to join the Procyrion board and work with this exceptional team,” Burbach said. “Procyrion is creating new technologies that will potentially save the lives of millions who are affected by chronic heart failure and I look forward to sharing my experiences and contributing to the future direction and growth of this company.”
Burbach currently serves on the boards of Fluidigm Corporation and Autonomic Technologies and also supports Titan Spine and Microfabrica as an executive advisor.
"I’m inspired by the level of experience we’re able to access with our board,” said Hertzog. “We have a very strong leadership foundation in place and we couldn’t be more pleased with this appointment. Gary’s domain expertise and general business acumen will bring insightful perspectives to our Board.”
Procyrion’s Aortix™ is not approved for use or sale.
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ABOUT PROCYRION
Houston-based medical device firm Procyrion, Inc. is developing the first catheter-deployed, intra-aortic pump for ambulatory use. The device is designed to rest and heal the heart by reducing afterload while simultaneously improving blood flow to vital organs. This groundbreaking cardiology tool, conceived by cardiologist Dr. Reynolds M. Delgado, III, medical director of Mechanical Support Devices in Heart Failure at the Texas Heart Institute, is expected to provide a minimally invasive treatment option for millions of chronic heart failure patients. For more information, visit www.procyrion.com or call 713.579.9227.