REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 6, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avinger, Inc., (Nasdaq:AVGR) a developer and manufacturer of image-guided, catheter-based systems for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and pioneer of the lumivascular approach to treating vascular disease, today announced that John Borrell has been named Vice President of Sales, effective April 20, 2015. Mr. Borrell will report directly to Avinger's CEO, Jeff Soinski.
Mr. Borrell joins Avinger with more than 25 years of medical technology sales and marketing experience, primarily with peripheral vascular and coronary products and procedures. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Sales and Global Marketing for TriReme Medical, where he led all U.S. sales operations and global marketing initiatives for peripheral and coronary interventional products. Mr. Borrell's extensive background in the launch, commercialization and growth of medical devices for the treatment of PAD includes executive leadership roles at Cardiovascular Systems, Inc., where he served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and FoxHollow Technologies, where he was U.S. Director of Sales.
"We are delighted to have John join our team. He is a true leader with highly relevant experience in successfully building and growing sales organizations," said Jeff Soinski, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our sales and marketing strategy today is focused on raising awareness of our lumivascular platform, expanding the number of lumivascular accounts, and driving utilization of our currently available image-guided catheters. At the same time, we are strategically building our sales and marketing infrastructure in anticipation of Pantheris launch in 2016. John's strong industry relationships and deep commercialization skills make him the perfect candidate to drive that strategy. I am excited to have him on our team and I look forward to working closely with him as he sets the direction and key strategies for our sales organization."
"We felt it was important to bring in an experienced industry veteran to drive our sales strategy and execution as we complete our clinical and regulatory program for Pantheris and prepare for product launch next year," added Dr. John B. Simpson, Executive Chairman. "Based on my past experience with John at FoxHollow and his success at other peripheral vascular companies, I am confident that he is the right person to take our sales organization to the next level as we prepare for this important event and drive our commercial objectives this year."
"I am delighted to have the opportunity to join Avinger at this exciting and pivotal point in the Company's growth. I have had the privilege of working with many of the senior team here in the past, and look forward to making a valuable contribution to the planning and execution of our commercial strategies, as we work to meaningfully improve the lives of patients with PAD," said Borrell.
John D. (JD) Simpson, Avinger's current VP of Sales, will assume the position of Vice President of Business Development concurrent with Borrell joining the Company. In this new role, Mr. Simpson will be responsible for developing and leading business development initiatives and strategic relationships to advance the Company's overall corporate strategy and commercial objectives.
"JD has made a number of significant improvements to our sales organization and selling process over the past year," continued Soinski. "We appreciate him stepping into this important strategic role at a pivotal point in the Company's development, and I look forward to working closely with JD to advance our broader corporate and commercial objectives."
About Avinger, Inc.
Avinger, Inc. is a commercial-stage medical device company that designs, manufactures and sells image-guided, catheter-based systems for the treatment of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). PAD is characterized by a build-up of plaque in the arteries that supply blood to the arms and legs. The Company's mission is to dramatically improve the treatment of vascular disease through the introduction of products based on its lumivascular platform, the only intravascular image-guided system available in this market. Avinger's current lumivascular products include the Lightbox™ imaging console and Ocelot™ family of catheters, which are designed to penetrate total arterial blockages, known as chronic total occlusions, or CTOs. The Company is also developing Pantheris™, an image-guided atherectomy device, designed to precisely remove arterial plaque in PAD patients. Pantheris is currently undergoing a U.S. clinical trial intended to support a 510(k) submission to the FDA in the second half of 2015. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.avinger.com.
CONTACT: Media Contact:
Bart Beasley
VP of Marketing, Avinger
Phone: +1 650 241 7900
Email: bbeasley@avinger.com
Investor Contact:
Leigh Salvo
(415) 513-1281
Email: ir@avinger.com
