Martin T Rothman has been appointed as chief medical officer of Vascular Dynamics, effective 1 January 2019.
Rothman is a pioneer in interventional cardiology, as evidenced by his clinical practice spanning several decades, his extensive pre-clinical and clinical research presented in over 200 publications, his success within the cardiovascular industry as a founder of several start-up companies, and his leadership roles at Medtronic.
Recently, Rothman was chief medical officer and vice president of Medical Affairs for the Coronary, Structural Heart, and Renal Denervation Division at Medtronic. In this role, he was involved in evidence development strategies and guided new product development teams for a wide indication spectrum including coronary and vascular disease, resistant hypertension, and minimally invasive and percutaneous mitral valve replacement and repair. Also, following the announcement of the failed HTN-3 study, he was instrumental in the interpretation of renal denervation data and working with others on new strategies for the development of RDN as a treatment option for hypertension patients.
“As a clinician, researcher, and industry participant, I have followed closely the development and initial positive clinical evidence reported for the EVBA approach using the MobiusHD device,” said Rothman. “I am excited about its potential as a viable treatment option for the many patients facing the dire prognoses of resistant hypertension and the potential in other unmet cardiovascular challenges. I look forward to being a part of the Vascular Dynamics team as we advance new breakthrough solutions for these patients.”
Vascular Dynamics is currently sponsoring the CALM-2 (Controlling and lowering blood pressure with MobiusHD) clinical trial, designed to establish the safety and efficacy of the novel endovascular baroreceptor amplification (EVBA) procedure using the unique MobiusHD device as a treatment for drug-resistant hypertension.
MobiusHD is the first minimally invasive technology to use the body’s natural baroreceptor mechanism of regulating blood pressure to address uncontrolled hypertension. Early results of the proof-of-concept CALM-FIM trial are promising, with reductions in blood pressure through six months that were significant and greater than those reported to date for alternative devices used to treat uncontrolled hypertension. These encouraging results, combined with lessons learned in previous clinical trials of device-based approaches, led to the rigorously designed CALM2 study, which began in the second half of 2018.
