TendoNova Appoints New CEO

Atlanta-based TendoNova Corporation has appointed Mark A. Samuels as CEO. Samuels is an experienced Atlanta-based entrepreneur and business leader with a proven track record and multiple successful exits in the medical device industry. TendoNova is an Atlanta-based medical device company that develops devices that enable microinvasive orthopedic procedures. Its initial product, the Ocelot System, addresses chronic tendon pain, a prevalent condition in both athletes and the population at large.
 
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Mark Samuels as our new CEO. With the addition of his extensive experience in the medical device industry, to the investment and support of the National Football League Players Association, we believe the company has all the components needed to drive success,” said TendoNova Board Chairman Lou Malice.
 
Approximately 30 million people in the United States suffer from chronic tendon pain each year. This includes injuries such as tennis elbow, Achilles tendinosis, and patellar tendon pain. These conditions are prevalent in NFL players, weekend warriors, and anyone else who engages in repetitive tasks. If left untreated, chronic tendon pain can lead to months or years of pain and even career-ending injuries.
 
“I am very excited for the opportunity to join the TendoNova team. The Ocelot technology has the potential to improve tendon treatment worldwide,” Samuels said. “My discussions with potential patients and physicians show a compelling need for improved tendon pain treatment. The Ocelot™ can help meet this need by improving accessibility and physician effectiveness in tendon procedures.”
 
Prior to joining TendoNova, Samuels was CEO of OBMedical Company for two and a half years. Under his leadership, OBMedical resolved technical and financial issues that had delayed its product launch and grew sales of its advanced fetal monitoring system for women in labor and their babies. Samuels engineered the sale of OBMedical Company to Philips Medical in 2018 for an undisclosed sum and acted as general manager for the company until 2019.
 
Founded in 2017, TendoNova combines decades of regenerative medicine know-how with modern data analytics to enable in-office procedures to treat chronic tendon pain. The Ocelot System encourages the growth of healthy tendon to replace painful lesions by performing a controlled mechanical debridement of a targeted area. Current methods of treating chronic tendon pain, such as using a needle to poke holes in a tendon, rely heavily on clinician skill and are expensive, invasive, or have inconsistent outcomes. This leaves patients and physicians with limited viable treatment options for patients that fail to heal. TendoNova’s Ocelot System is a smart tool that is easy to use, cost effective, and provides real-time data that enhances the clinician’s skill. By making treatment of chronic tendon pain more accessible and reliable, TendoNova’s Ocelot™ System brings surgical level care to the office and training room.