HistoSonics announced today the appointment of Joe Amaral, MD, to the newly created position of Vice President of Medical Affairs, where he will oversee global clinical development initiatives for the company. Dr. Amaral brings with him more than 35 years of significant clinical and executive leadership in the healthcare space. Most recently, Dr. Amaral was Global Vice President of Surgical Innovation at Ethicon, Inc. where he developed industry leading hepatobiliary and minimally invasive surgical strategies, led multiple technology investments and acquisitions, and drove new product developments that resulted in advancing minimally invasive therapies across the globe, impacting the lives of a countless number of physicians and patients.
Prior to his career with Johnson & Johnson, Dr. Amaral was President and CEO of Rhode Island Hospital and its pediatric division, Hasbro Children’s Hospital. Dr. Amaral has also previously served as the Chairman of the Department of Surgery at Brown University School of Medicine, Chief of Surgery at Rhode Island Hospital, and President of University Surgical Associates. Dr. Amaral was also a Professor of Surgery at Brown University School of Medicine, is a member of 25 professional societies, author of over 100 clinical papers and book chapters, and has delivered over 400 national and international presentations.
As an innovator of companies and technology, Dr. Amaral’s hallmark success was at Ultracision®, co-developing the Harmonic Scalpel, the first ultrasonically activated cutting and coagulating surgical device. The technology, which is used globally, enabled minimally invasive surgery and is considered one of the major advancements in surgical technology of the past twenty years.
“We are extremely excited to add Joe to our company and senior team”, said HistoSonics’ President and CEO, Mike Blue. “He brings an incredibly unique set of skills and experiences as a surgeon, innovator, and hospital and corporate executive, and he will be a significant asset to the team as we continue to build our long-term strategy and enter a new stage of growth.”
Dr. Amaral commented, “Rarely in one’s medical career do you see something that makes you stop and say, the world just changed. That was my immediate reaction when I was first introduced to HistoSonics. Histotripsy has the potential to change all aspects of patient care by enabling precise, tissue sparing, non-invasive treatments. I could not be more fortunate and humbled than to have the opportunity to work with an amazingly talented team to bring the future of non-invasive, or minimally invasive care to benefit patients.”
Earlier this year, HistoSonics raised $40M in a Series C-1 financing to be used for continued development of its EdisonTM Platform, global clinical studies, and new strategic projects.
Caution: Federal law (USA) restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.
The Edison® System is intended for the non-invasive mechanical destruction of liver tumors, including the partial or complete destruction of unresectable liver tumors via histotripsy. The FDA has not evaluated the Edison System for the treatment of any disease including, but not limited to, cancer or evaluated any specific cancer outcomes (such as local tumor progression, 5-year survival or overall survival). The System should only be used by persons who have completed training performed by HistoSonics, and its use guided by the clinical judgment of an appropriately trained physician. Refer to the device Instructions for Use for a complete list of warnings, precautions and a summary of clinical trial results, including reported adverse events.
