Premia Spine Gains Three New Board Advisors

Premia Spine has added decades of clinical, business, and medtech experience to its top management with the appoint of three new advisors.

Stephen Hochschuler, M.D., Peter Wehrly, and Nicholas Pachuda, DPM, will help the company launch the TOPS System, a motion preservation solution for patients sufferent from degenerative spondylolisthesis and lumber spine stenosis. “I am gratified that this prestigious roster of clinical, innovation and business experts recognize the potential of the TOPS System and want to contribute to its success. Their strategic contributions are already being realized as we continue with the clinical study of TOPS and prepare for commercial launch in 2022,” Premia Spine CEO Ron Sacher said. “I am confident that their insights will help position us to be a leader in helping those suffering from spinal stenosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis.”

Hochschuler is founder and chairman emeritus of the Texas Back Institute. A renowned orthopedic surgeon, he is a serial entrepreneur and innovator in the field of spinal surgery. Hochschuler is past president (2006-2007) and founding member of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS), chairman of the board of Innovative Spinal Technologies of Plano, and founder of several medical-related companies. He also is a member of numerous national and international professional organizations and is published in a wide range of professional journals.

“I have joined as a board advisor to Premia Spine because I see the potential for the TOPS System to change the standard of care for treating patients with spinal stenosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis,” said Hochschuler. “After observing the technology for many years, reviewing the clinical trial design and its interim results, I believe Premia Spine could make a positive impact on patients and spine surgery. I look forward to working with Premia Spine’s Board and management team to help bring TOPS to market.”
 
Wehrly is a C-suite medical device industry executive with extensive expertise in delivering top line growth and operational efficiencies. Wehrly is CEO at Vivex Biologics and previously served as CEO at Medingo, which was acquired by Roche, and as president and CEO of PQ Bypass, which was acquired by Endologix. He has also held executive leadership positions at Medtronic, DePuy Orthopaedics and Covidien. Wehrly excels at bringing new technologies to market, securing profitable strategic alliances, contracts and agreements. He also has an extensive record in private, public and community board involvement.
 
Pachuda is a medical device, biotech, and orthopedics innovator, investor, and advisor. As former worldwide vice president of external innovation within the Medical Device Group at Johnson & Johnson, Pachuda led global strategic innovation, business development, portfolio and channel development, and commercial business unit and new venture incubation. He led the Johnson & Johnson JPOD startup incubator in Philadelphia. Pachuda was a cofounder of the extremities division at Arthrex. He was part of the leadership team at Small Bone Innovations that was acquired by Stryker, and global vice president of marketing at Scient’x Spine that was acquired by Alphatec.
 
Premia Spine claims TOPS is the first and only facet replacement device that is inserted into the lumbar vertebral joint to stabilize the spine. TOPS was developed to provide mobility, stability and durability after decompression for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis. TOPS won Breakthrough Device Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is being studied under an investigational device exemption from the FDA.
 
Spinal stenosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis are painful, debilitating and highly prevalent conditions that impact over 100 million people globally.¹ An estimated 350,000 people undergo lumbar spinal fusion each year for these conditions,² representing a $2 billion annual addressable global market.
 
References
¹ Ravindra, V. M., et al. Degenerative Lumbar Spine Disease: Estimating Global Incidence and Worldwide Volume. Global Spine Journal: 2018, Vol 8, Issue 8. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2192568218770769
² 2019 Spinal Surgery Update. Orthopedic Network News: Volume 30, Number 4, October 2019.