Vertos Medical Appoints New Vice President of R&D

R&D VP to Drive Product Innovation
During Company's Transformative Growth Phase

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Nov. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vertos Medical Inc., a leader in the development of innovative, minimally invasive treatments for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), today announced the appointment of Mehrzad Khakpour, PhD as Vice President of Research and Development. Dr. Khakpour will be responsible for directing all aspects of research and development for the company.

Dr. Khakpour brings a wealth of both technological innovation and product development experience to his role at Vertos, in addition to extensive medical device experience from inception to IPO. He was most recently at Sonendo Inc., a medical technology company focused on saving teeth from tooth decay with industry-first dental innovation, where he was responsible for the development and management of the product portfolio and roadmap for the past 14 years. He holds a BS in mechanical engineering from Sharif University of Technology, an MS in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota, and a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Riverside. Additionally, he will soon complete the Chief Product Officer Program at Kellogg Executive Education, Northwestern University.

"Mehrzad joins the Vertos team at a pivotal time of growth and transformation as we continue to evolve the mild^® Procedure and also look to expand treatment options for patients suffering from back pain," said Eric Wichems, President and CEO of Vertos Medical. "Mehrzad's extensive experience building and managing results-oriented, innovative, and agile R&D teams makes him a great asset to our organization."

"I'm excited to join the Vertos team during this time of significant growth," said Mehrzad. "The Company's relentless pursuit to improve patients' quality of life requires a commitment to continual innovation that I am excited to be a part of moving forward. I am eager to develop a robust product pipeline that will provide additional therapies to treat patients suffering from low back pain."

Vertos Medical is an interventional pain company committed to developing innovative, minimally invasive treatments for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). mild®, its proprietary technology, is an image-guided outpatient procedure that removes a major root cause of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) through an incision smaller than the size of baby aspirin and doesn't require implants, general anesthesia, or stitches. The mild® Procedure has been clinically demonstrated to have safety outcomes similar to injections with durability out to 5 years, and patients typically return to activities of daily living within 24 hours with no restrictions. mild® is nationally covered by Medicare and has been performed on over 55,000 patients. Vertos Medical headquarters is located in Aliso Viejo, CA. To learn more and view clinical data, visit www.Vertosmed.com.

SOURCE Vertos Medical Inc.