Less than a year after sewing up FDA clearance for its first nerve stimulation device, NeuraLace has brought on a new CEO to guide the clinical rollout of the Axon Therapy system.
The new chief executive, Keith Warner, took over from Sean Edwards, who had served as interim CEO and executive chairman for just a few months. Shiv Shukla had held the CEO title since founding NeuraLace in 2016, until last November, when he shifted into the role of president.
Warner, whose appointment took effect in February, also joined NeuraLace’s board of directors.
In his new position, Warner will not only be tasked with overseeing the U.S. launch of the Axon Therapy system but will also lead the startup through its fundraising efforts and plans to expand into other technologies.
“With his exceptional track record of combining investor financing, program innovation and device commercialization while maximizing health-economic impact, we believe Keith Warner is the ideal CEO to lead NeuraLace Medical into its next chapter of growth and success,” Shukla said in a statement.
Warner joined NeuraLace after spending nearly half a decade at Attune Medical, developer of a silicone device that’s placed in the esophagus to control a patient’s core temperature. After joining the company as chief operating officer in 2017, he was promoted to CEO the following year.
Prior to his time at Attune, Warner’s medtech experience dates back several decades. He kicked off his career with a 13-year stint in a series of sales, marketing and management roles within Abbott’s diagnostics division. Between then and now, he’s also held leadership roles at Somalogic, Biodesix, Wafergen BioSystems and Novartis, where he was vice president of global marketing between 2006 and 2009.
“I am thrilled to join a company that is so uniquely well-positioned in the pain space to provide solutions that not only prove to be breakthroughs in technology but also enable clinicians to take better care of patients while driving better operational, clinical and financial outcomes,” Warner said. “I look forward to expanding opportunities for NeuraLace clients while affecting real change in healthcare and enhancing value for our investors.”
The Axon Therapy system earned FDA clearance last June, and, at the time, NeuraLace said it would also begin rolling out the nerve stimulation device to healthcare providers across the U.S.
The system centers around a hand-held treatment coil, which, when placed over areas of damaged nerves, sends subtle electromagnetic pulses through the skin to activate the nervous system’s natural pain management mechanisms. Clinical trials have proven the device’s ability to reduce pain levels by up to 36% after just one treatment session.
The system is meant to replace implanted devices and addictive drugs to treat chronic pain in patients with nerve damage caused by limb loss, car accident, severe fall, sports injury, burns and invasive surgical procedures.