Vesalio Announces Appointment of Mike Kujak as Its New Independent Board Chairman

 Vesalio is pleased to announce the appointment of Mike Kujak as chairman of its Board of Directors. In this role, Mike will bring expert knowledge and know-how from his years of leadership in the medical device start-up space.

“Mike’s leadership experience in scaling multimillion-dollar medical device start-ups will be a valuable addition to our Board of Directors,” said David Adair, M.D., Vesalio board member and managing partner of venture capital firm Solas BioVentures. “With Mike, we’re even more excited by the collective expertise the board is bringing to Vesalio as we transform the way strokes are treated and position the company for long-term growth and profitability.”

Mike brings over 35 years of broad and strategic healthcare leadership experience in medical devices, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, clinical research and payer economics. He currently serves as the president and chief executive officer of Francis Medical, a start-up medical device company, developing water vapor technology for treating prostate cancer. Before Francis Medical, Mike was the chief marketing officer and senior vice president of International for NxThera, a start-up medical device company purchased by Boston Scientific. Prior to NxThera, he served as vice president and general manager of the Prostate Health business unit of American Medical Systems, which developed and commercialized medical device solutions to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostate cancer and stone disease. Mike received his MBA from the OPUS College of Business, University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a Bachelor of Science in physics and chemistry from the University of South Dakota.

“Vesalio’s revolutionary blood clot removal technology and focus on expanding its market globally make it an exciting time to join the company,” said Mike Kujak. “I look forward to bringing my years of experience in medical device start-ups, enterprise sales, and international commercialization to the board.”

“As a proven leader, Mike will have an immediate impact on our strategic execution,” remarked Steve Rybka, Vesalio chief executive officer. “His guidance and oversight will further enhance our ability to deliver life-saving innovation to physicians and their patients.”

About Vesalio

Founded in 2013, Vesalio is a privately held medical device company committed to advancing patient care in vascular occlusion by providing physicians superior technology designed to improve clinical outcomes. The company’s proprietary NeVa™ platform was designed to consistently achieve first-pass recanalization in acute ischemic stroke by effectively removing all types of neurovascular clots from patient anatomy. For more information, visit vesalio.com.

About Solas BioVentures

Solas BioVentures is a venture capital firm that invests exclusively in the life science industry, focusing on early and development stage Biotech and MedTech companies advancing impactful, disruptive technologies. Headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee, its coverage is global. For more information, visit solasbio.com.