Patrick McBrayer Appointed President, CEO of Miach Orthopaedics

Miach Orthopaedics Inc. has a new leader.

The company has appointed healthcare industry veteran Patrick McBrayer as president and CEO. 
 
McBrayer has led companies in orthopedics and regenerative medicine for more than 35 years and has also been an advisor to medical device companies in spine, orthopedics, and biotechnology. At Miach, McBrayer will lead the early-stage company that recently launched the BEAR Implant commercially in the United States through a direct sales force.
 
“The team at Miach Orthopaedics has made tremendous progress over the last year in driving market adoption of the BEAR Implant for ACL restoration,” McBrayer said. “Surgeons and patients alike understand the benefits of healing a torn ACL rather than replacing it, and I look forward to leading Miach as we work to establish the BEAR Implant as the new standard of care for ACL tear surgery.”
 
McBrayer replaces Christopher Joyce, who served as interim president and CEO since Martha Shadan left the company in June. Joyce will return to his previous role as chief financial officer. 

McBrayer is a 40-year healthcare industry veteran. He has served as president and CEO of multiple companies in the orthopedic and regenerative medicine industries and brings a wealth of experience in both private equity placements and public offerings. Prior to joining Miach, McBrayer served as president and CEO of ACell, AxioMed Spine Corporation, Exogen and Osteotech; CEO of Xylos Corporation; and co-founder of Transave (now Insmed). He is a recipient of the Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award for a market-leading biological implant for bone repair. Earlier in his career, McBrayer held positions of increasing responsibility for Johnson & Johnson.

McBrayer graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and served as an Infantry Officer Company Commander in the U.S. Army prior to beginning his business career.  
 
“We’re excited to welcome Patrick, who has a long track record of leading early-stage companies. His knowledge and experience will be invaluable as Miach continues to disrupt the treatment of ACL tears with the BEAR Implant,” said Joyce Erony, chairwoman of Miach’s Board of Directors and managing partner at Amzak Health. “On behalf of the board, I also want to express our sincerest thanks to Chris for his leadership during this period of transition.”
 
The Bridge-Enhanced ACL Restoration (BEAR) Implant is a proprietary bio-engineered implant used to facilitate healing of the torn ACL. The BEAR Implant is the first medical technology to demonstrate, with Level 1 clinical evidence, that it enables the body to heal its own torn ACL. Unlike reconstruction, which is the current standard of care, the BEAR Implant does not require a second surgical wound site to remove a healthy tendon from another part of the leg or the use of a donor tendon. The BEAR Implant acts as a bridge between the two ends of the torn ACL. The surgeon injects a small amount of the patient’s own blood into the implant and inserts it between the torn ends of the ACL in a minimally invasive procedure. The combination of the BEAR Implant and the patient’s blood enables the body to heal the torn ends of the ACL back together while maintaining the ACL’s original attachments to the femur and tibia. The BEAR Implant is resorbed by the body as the ACL heals.
 
The BEAR Implant was granted De Novo Approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2020. It is indicated for skeletally mature patients at least 14 years of age with a complete rupture of the ACL, as confirmed by MRI. Patients must have an ACL stump attached to the tibia to facilitate the restoration. The BEAR device must be implanted within 50 days of injury. 
 
Miach Orthopaedics Inc. is a privately held company in Westborough, Mass., that develops bio-engineered surgical implants for connective tissue restoration. The company’s initial focus is the BEAR Implant, which represents a paradigm shift in the treatment of ACL tears from reconstruction to restoration. The BEAR technology was pioneered by Martha Murray, M.D., founder of Miach Orthopaedics, at the Boston Children’s Hospital Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, with initial research funding provided by the NFL Players Association, Boston Children’s Hospital and the National Institutes of Health.