Amedica Corp. Appoints New CEO, Board Member

Amedica Corp., a spinal and reconstructive implant manufacturer, has made a few changes at the top.

Eric Olson, the president of Amedica Spine, has been named as the company’s president and CEO, replacing Ben Shappley. Olson is charged with leading ceramic medical manufacturing company through its next phase of market expansion.

“As we enter our next stage of development and look forward to commercializing a new generation of products, having a forward thinking leader, like Eric, at the helm of the company is invaluable to our organization,” said Max Link, Ph.D., chairman of Amedica’s board of directors. “His proven management capability and success within the first year at Amedica has positioned him well for his new role.”

“I am pleased to be leading the company at this time of rapid growth and I look forward to strengthening the company’s market position as the ceramic development leader in spine, dental and general orthopedics,” said Olson. “Recent data regarding the characteristics of silicon nitride have demonstrated that the efficacy of silicon nitride, as a unique biomaterial, has characteristics that should dramatically increase widespread clinical adoption and reinforce the value of our company and its products.”

Olson joined Amedica in 2011, bringing more than 20 years of experience in the medical device industry. Before joining the company, he was the executive vice president of Sales and Marketing for Axial Biotech, a privately held, venture-backed company focused on the development and commercialization of genetic tests for patients with spinal disorders. Olson also served as the vice president of Sales and Marketing for Facet Solutions and Sorenson Medical. He was the founder and president of Protech Medical Inc., an independent distribution organization that sold orthopedic and spinal implants. He also has also held senior sales and marketing positions at several large companies including Medtronic, Smith & Nephew and Wright Medical.

Olson holds a degree in Behavioral Science and Health Administration from the University of Utah.

The company also appointed orthopedic surgeon B. Sonny Bal, M.D., M.B.D., J.D., to the board of directors.

Bal is an associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Missouri, Columbia, specializing in hip and knee replacement surgery. He also is an adjunct professor of Material Sciences at the University of Missouri at Rolla. Bal received his M.D. from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University, and is a licensed attorney who co-founded the Bal Brenner law firm in North Carolina. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, with over 100 scientific publications

Amedica’s primary focus is technology that includes its proprietary silicon nitride ceramic technology. The company was founded in 1996 by orthopedic surgeons and ceramicists. The company is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Stay tuned for an ODT report on Amedica’s silicone nitride technology. According to Amedica executives, the company’s silicone nitride technology, in addition to its strength and flexible manufacturability as an alternative to PEEK, also seems to have, based on recent research, natural antimicrobial properties.