Galvanize Appoints Executive Chairman and New Oncology-Focused Director to the Board of Directors

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Jul 02, 2024, 07:00 ET

Doug Godshall Becomes Executive Chairman

Zhen Su, MD, MBA, Appointed to the Board of Directors to Bring Oncology Expertise

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Galvanize, a leader in Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) technologies, today announced the appointments of Doug Godshall to Executive Chairman and Zhen Su, MD, PhD to its board of directors.

Godshall was CEO of Shockwave Medical from 2017 until the sale of the company to Johnson & Johnson for $13.1 billion in May, 2024. Before, he was CEO of HeartWare International which was acquired by Medtronic in 2016 for $1.1 billion. Doug started his career at Boston Scientific where he rose from a sales representative to President of the Vascular Surgery division and a member the Operating Committee. He also serves as Chairman of Saluda Medical.

Godshall commented: "Over the last several years I have been impressed by the clinical impact Galvanize products are having on patients and look forward to this expanded role as Executive Chairman where I can work more closely with the team on the INUMI Flex launch and scaling the commercial business. I believe the interventional oncology space is primed for growth, as new advancements, by Galvanize and others, will make devices a more integral component of the treatment continuum."

Zhen Su is CEO of Marengo Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech company which is developing novel T-cell Receptor-targeting antibodies to provide lifelong protection against cancer and other diseases. Prior to Marengo, Zhen served as Senior Vice President and Global Head of Oncology for Merck KGaA, where he led the franchise's turnaround to achieve double-digit organic growth and an annual revenue above €1B. He also held leadership roles with EMD Serono, Sanofi Oncology and GSK.

Dr. Su stated: "Having spent almost three decades of my career studying tumor immunology and developing immune-oncology treatments, I am impressed that Galvanize is developing innovative medical devices with exciting clinical impacts for patients, especially for late-stage cancer patients. Preclinically, there appears to be a synergy between Galvanize's Aliya energy with standard of care IO therapeutics, particularly neoantigen release, which we hope to prove out in trials. I look forward to joining the board of directors to support the company in its ambition to build strong clinical evidence and pursue indications to establish Aliya in the care pathway for patients with solid tumors."

"We are thrilled to have Doug expand his role with Galvanize and for Zhen to join the board. With the recent FDA 510(k) clearance of the INUMI Flex Endoscopic Needle and growing clinical trial experience, we are excited to bring these technologies to patients and their physicians with the appropriate oversight and leadership."

Aliya, with the INUMI Flex needle, is the first commercially available system to deliver PEF energy through an endoscope, enabling physicians to reach and non-thermally ablate soft tissue lesions. Aliya delivers high voltage, short duration electrical energy locally to alter the transmembrane potential of cells, which results in loss of homeostasis, inducing non-thermal programmed cell death without denaturing cellular proteins and the extracellular matrix. In addition to focal ablation, preclinical and prior clinical studies suggest this process may release antigens from the dying tumor cells that may stimulate an immune response for a potential systemic effect beyond focal ablation. Aliya can be delivered using either an endoscopic or percutaneous approach.

The Aliya PEF System and the INUMI Flex needle are 510(k) cleared in the United States for the surgical ablation of soft tissue. They are not currently commercially available in any other geography.

About Galvanize™

Galvanize Therapeutics aims to become the global leader in delivering medical technology innovations that drive biologic processes to treat a range of diseases, including solid tumors and chronic bronchitis symptoms. Formed by ATP (Apple Tree Partners), Galvanize is based in Redwood City, Calif., and is developing and commercializing its revolutionary Aliya^® PEF energy platform in the United States. For more information, please visit www.galvanizetx.com.

SOURCE Galvanize Therapeutics, Inc.