BAROnova Announces Appointment of David S. Thrower as President and Chief Executive Officer

GOLETA, Calif., May 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BAROnova, Inc., a medical technology company developing devices for the treatment for obesity, today announced the appointment of David S. Thrower as President and Chief Executive Officer.  Mr. Thrower will also become a member of the company's Board of Directors.  BAROnova's founding CEO, Hugh Narciso, will continue to serve the company as a strategic advisor.

"David is a seasoned medical device executive with a proven track record developing and commercializing transformative new medical technologies," said Rob Kuhling, partner at ONSET Ventures and member of the Board of Directors of BAROnova.  "We are excited to take advantage of David's years of experience with innovative consumer-focused medical devices as he leads the next stage of BAROnova's development."  

Added Kuhling, "We also want to thank Hugh Narciso for his tireless efforts successfully leading the company from its formation through the recent initiation of a landmark pivotal clinical trial expected to support an FDA application for approval of BAROnova's TransPyloric Shuttle®."

Mr. Thrower's career in the medical device industry has spanned over two decades.  He most recently served as CEO of Asante Solutions, a venture-backed company where he led regulatory efforts and the commercial launch of a novel insulin pump for patients with diabetes.  Prior to that, he was CEO of InSound Medical, Inc., a company that developed and commercialized a disruptive hearing technology, which was acquired by Sonova Holdings AG, the world's leading hearing products company.   Earlier, Mr. Thrower was Vice President, Global Marketing for Align Technology, Inc., developer of the innovative Invisalign® system for aesthetically straightening teeth through a series of clear, plastic aligners.  During his tenure, the company grew its revenue to over $170M.  

Mr. Thrower began his career as a strategy consultant at Bain & Company.  He earned his MBA from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration and received a BS in Mathematical and Computational Sciences from Stanford University.

"Obesity is one of the most significant global healthcare challenges that we face in terms of economic effect, quality and duration of life. There have been far too few methods that have been effective at addressing this disease," commented Mr. Thrower. "BAROnova has a leading-edge technology, which we believe will address the need for a non-invasive and practical means to combat the disease.  Our job will be to continue to study the product and its effects, to obtain FDA approval and to provide wide but appropriate access to this technology through a successful commercial launch."

About the TransPyloric Shuttle
BAROnova's novel weight-loss device, the TransPyloric Shuttle (TPS®), is inserted and removed through the mouth using standard endoscopic techniques.  In a previous feasibility study of the TPS, patients with a BMI of 30-40 kg/m² demonstrated an average excess weight loss of 58 percent after six months. The TPS is an investigational device and is limited by Federal (United States) law to investigational use.

About BAROnova, Inc.
BAROnova is a clinical-stage medical technology company developing devices for the treatment of obesity. BAROnova's technology focuses on slowing gastric emptying, a known mechanism of action for weight loss. For more information about the company, please visit www.BAROnova.com. 

BAROnova, Inc.
Contact: David Thrower, President and CEO
650-638-9796

SOURCE BAROnova, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.BAROnova.com