Medcura Forms Industry-leading Commercial Spine Advisory Board to Bring Breakthrough Designated Spine Surgery Hemostat Lifegel to Market

COLLEGE PARK, Md., – March 4, 2025 – Medcura, Inc., a leader in innovative hemostasis solutions that deploy patented biopolymer technologies to control surgical bleeding, has announced the formation of its Commercial Spine Advisory Board. The Board will guide the Medcura team as they advance LifeGel™ Absorbable Hemostatic Gel towards commercialization and market strategy in the United States and around the world. Currently in development, LifeGel is the first and only surgical hemostatic agent to receive an FDA Breakthrough Device Designation.

“LifeGel, with its unique benefits, is well positioned to disrupt the spine hemostasis market,” said Steve Ford, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Business Development and Commercial Advisory Board Chair. “The board will help Medcura build and execute our LifeGel commercialization plans. The board will also advise our team as we grow awareness among physicians, surgical facility leaders, and payers about LifeGel’s potential to revolutionize bleeding control during spine surgeries.”

The members of Medcura’s Commercial Advisory Board have diverse, deep experience with spine surgery medical device development and go-to-market strategy, neurosurgery practice management, and outpatient surgery facility development and operations. Together, they will guide the Medcura team to ensure LifeGel is successfully introduced, marketed, and sold to physicians and surgery facilities performing spine procedures. 

The Commercial Advisory Board includes the following healthcare leaders:

Jimmy Y. Chung, MD, MBA, FACS, FABQAURP, CPE, CMRP, Chief Medical Officer, Advantus Health Partners

Jimmy is a board-certified surgeon with more than 25 years of experience in direct patient care, physician leadership and healthcare administration. An expert in healthcare technology and supply chain, Jimmy has dedicated his career to pursuing innovative methods of high-value, safe, and patient-centered care in a value-based environment.

Dave Clark, Managing Partner, Medi-Launch Partners

A 25-year medical device industry veteran with hemostasis product expertise, Dave helps companies across the globe successfully commercialize and launch new medical devices in the US. He specializes in strategic planning, product design finalization, sales force development, and marketing campaigns.

Gianluca Iasci, Chief Commercial Officer, Highridge Medical

Gianluca leads commercialization and sales teams specializing in biologic solutions, spinal implants, and surgical instruments for use in spine procedures. 

Jason Mullen, VP of Sales, CrossLink

Jason has more than 20 years of experience in the spinal surgery market and is currently the VP of Sales for CrossLink’s spine business. CrossLink is one of VB Spine, LLC’s (formerly Stryker Spine) largest distributors.

Sean Rambo, MBA, MHS, President and Co-Founder, Compass Surgical Partners

Sean has worked with several industry-leading ambulatory surgery center (ASC) development and management firms during his 25-year career – including HCA, United Surgical Partners International (USPI), Titan Health and ultimately co-founding his own firm (Compass Surgical Partners) in late 2010.  A case migration expert, Sean has helped numerous physician groups and health systems launch and grow surgery centers, and surgery center platforms.

Jacob Rodman, Chief Executive Officer, Raleigh Neurosurgical Clinic

As CEO of one of the fastest growing spine surgery groups in the US, Jacob is an expert on payer contracting, practice management and ambulatory surgery center operations. He is President of NERVES, the neurosurgery executives resource value and education society that helps neurosurgery executives and administrators strengthen their practices and has 20+ years of healthcare leadership experience.

Frank Tedesco, Independent Distributor, Innovative Medical Device Solutions

Frank has 25 years of experience in spine as a distributor, investor and Board member. Frank is a Partner in Medical Device Partners, which is a private investment vehicle designed to invest in early-stage device companies. He has 5+ years of experience consulting Pacira on spine strategy for opioid free surgery. He is the Founder and President of a 501c3 established to enhance innovation and surgeon education in spine. He also serves on several boards in the spine space.

Josef Vance, MS, Vice President US Sales Operations and Training, Cerapedics

Josef applies his background in biomedical engineering to lead go-to-market and sales strategies for ortho-biologic companies.

Steve Ford, Commercial Advisory Board Chair and Senior Vice President of Marketing & Business Development, Medcura

Steve is an expert in the biosurgery product space — hemostats, sealants, and ortho-biologics. Prior to his role at Medcura, Steve led marketing, strategy and business development at companies that include Baxter, Biom’Up and Mallinckrodt. Throughout his 30-year career, Steve has led and participated in more than 75 product development teams and has launched more than 100 medical devices. Steve is an innovative problem solver and holds patents on medical devices that have grossed well over $1 billion in sales.

About LifeGel™
LifeGel, is the first and only surgical hemostatic agent to receive an FDA Breakthrough Device Designation. If approved, the product could offer a promising alternative to surgical bleeding control options currently available to spine surgeons and their patients. Current hemostatic agents can pose risks, including swelling within confined anatomical spaces, which may lead to neurological deficits. LifeGel’s no-swell properties would help to mitigate these risks while also providing several other advantages: cost-effectiveness, immediate readiness for use, and antimicrobial properties. A panel of leading spine surgeons have selected LifeGel to receive a 2024/2025 Best Technology in Spine Award.

About Medcura
Medcura, Inc. is a commercial-stage medical device company developing versatile hemostatic products serving large surgical, medical, and consumer market opportunities. The Company's proprietary technology platform combines the use of safe, inert ingredients with patented chemistries, all aimed at introducing disruptively lower cost products capable of safely and effectively controlling bleeding across a broad spectrum of clinical applications. Medcura has received FDA Breakthrough Device Designations for LifeGel™, which controls surgical bleeding for spine surgeries, and LifeFoam™, a hemostatic agent for traumatic wounds. Learn more about Medcura's growing product line at www.medcurainc.com.

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LifeGel™ and its application tips are currently in development. All intended uses and/or indications for use for this medical device and its application tips have not been cleared or approved by the FDA.

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References

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https://www.fdanews.com/articles/210821-medcura-receives-breakthrough-device-designation-for-lifegel-to-manage-surgical-bleeding?v=preview

Arista ® AH Absorbable Hemostatic Particles, Instructions for Use,; Warnings. Davol Inc. Subsidiary of C. R. Bard, Inc., Warwick, RI; 2015, Arista-AH

Gelfoam ® absorbable gelatin compressed sponge, USP, Instructions for Use; Warnings.  Pfizer, Pharmacia & Upjohn Company LLC, New York, NY; 05/2022

Gelfoam ® absorbable gelatin powder from absorbable gelatin sponge, USP, Instructions for Use; Warnings.  Pfizer, Pharmacia & Upjohn Company LLC, New York, NY; 05/2022

PerClot ® Polysaccharide Hemostatic System, Instructions for Use, Warnings. Starch Medical Inc., San Jose, CA, Uploaded 2019, PerClot-IFU

Surgicel ® Powder, Absorbable Hemostatic Powder, Instructions for Use, Contraindications. Ethicon, LLC, San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico; 05/2017

Surgicel ® SNoW Absorbable Hemostatic, Instructions for Use, Contraindications; Adverse Events.  Ethicon, LLC, San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico; 05/2013

SurgifloTM Hemostatic Matrix Kit, Essential Product Information, Warnings; Precautions. Ethicon Johnson and Johnson Surgical Technologies; 2022, SURGIFLO-Hemostatic-Matrix-Brochure

SurgicelTM Original/ Surgicel NU-KNIT/ Surgicel Fibrillar Absorbable Hemostats, Instructions for Use, Contraindications; Adverse Events. Ethicon, Neuchâtel, Switzerland; 06/2013

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