BlueWind Medical, Ltd., a medical device company revolutionizing neuromodulation therapy for overactive bladder (OAB), has announced three executive appointments to leadership positions within the company. Seamus O’Connor, a seasoned medical device industry expert, has joined as Vice President of Quality. Paul Maguire has joined as Vice President of Operations, and Asher Kuper has been appointed as the Vice President of Research and Development, adding more than two decades of operational expertise.
“This group of talented professionals brings mature and multinational company experience,” said Dan Lemaitre, Chairman and CEO of BlueWind Medical. “We could not be more eager to welcome them to BlueWind Medical. Together, I believe their passion and leadership will strengthen our ability to revolutionize neuromodulation therapy for overactive bladder, driving continued value for our stakeholders and the patients we hope to serve.”
Seamus O’Connor brings 23 years of experience in the medical device industry across quality assurance and regulatory affairs, working with various medical device technologies. His product experience includes life-supporting and sustaining devices, as well as sterile, implantable, and consumable devices. He has successfully managed numerous U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspections and other audits by regulatory bodies. Prior to BlueWind Medical, Seamus held positions of increasing responsibility at MEDNOVA, TE Connectivity, Boston Scientific, and Natus Medical. Seamus holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree and a Higher Diploma in Quality Management from the University of Galway, Ireland.
Asher Kuper has held various roles within startups and global companies across the medtech industry for the past 18 years. He recently served as Vice President of Product for Zebra Medical Vision (acquired by Nanox Vision), where he was responsible for the strategic roadmap of organic and joint ventures product management, and as CEO of SpirCare, where he helped pioneer approaches to respiratory disease management based on artificial intelligence. Asher holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical engineering from Tel Aviv University.
Paul Maguire brings more than 25 years of operations experience in medical devices to BlueWind Medical, with a career spanning multinational organizations such as Stryker, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, Allergan, and, most recently, AbbVie. As Executive Director of New Jersey Operations at AbbVie, Paul led a large-scale regenerative medicine business and oversaw major operational transformation programs. Before that, he also managed a startup operation and supply chain for the VenaSeal delivery system for the treatment of varicose veins, supporting the global sales team within Europe, Canada, and the U.S., following the successful completion of a premarket approval application. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the Dundalk Institute of Technology and a Master of Business Administration from the Athlone Institute of Technology.
About OAB:
Overactive bladder causes a frequent and urgent need to empty the bladder. According to the National Association for Continence, OAB is a chronic, debilitating condition that affects over 33 million Americans. OAB can manifest as urgency urinary incontinence, which is the involuntary leakage of urine associated with a sudden compelling desire to void. OAB is a highly prevalent condition among men and women, affecting approximately 23% of U.S. adults.
About BlueWind Medical:
BlueWind Medical Ltd. is an innovative medical device company that is transforming neuromodulation therapy for the treatment of overactive bladder. BlueWind Medical has developed a miniature tibial neuromodulation solution for OAB that is implanted in the ankle region in a minimally invasive outpatient procedure under local anesthesia. The patient-centric system allows for therapy customization to enhance patient response and includes a lightweight wearable device that fits around the ankle. Our pivotal study (OASIS), which is being conducted under an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) from the FDA, completed one year of follow-up in October 2022. RENOVA iStim is not approved for use in the U.S.
Reference:
Reynolds, WS et al. The Burden of Overactive Bladder on US Public Health. Curr Bladder Dysfunct Rep. 2016 Mar; 11(1): 8-13. doi:10.1007/s11884-016-0344-9.