REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Jan. 04, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avinger, Inc., (NASDAQ: AVGR ) a developer and manufacturer of image-guided, catheter-based systems for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and pioneer of the lumivascular approach to treating vascular disease, today announced that Joseph Rafferty has been named Vice President of Sales, effective January 4, 2016. Mr. Rafferty will report directly to Avinger's CEO, Jeff Soinski.
Mr. Rafferty joins Avinger with more than 30 years of medical technology sales and marketing experience, primarily with peripheral vascular and coronary products and procedures. Most recently, he served as President and CEO of National Medical Sales, an organization providing third-party commercialization services to emerging medical technology companies, primarily in the fields of peripheral and coronary interventional devices. Mr. Rafferty's extensive background includes leadership roles at Pathway Medical Technologies, Inc., where he served as Vice President of Global Sales, and Synthes Spine, where he led teams responsible for national accounts and sales operations. Earlier in his career Mr. Rafferty held sales and management roles in the Cardiosurgery division of C.R. Bard and the Advanced Cardiovascular Systems (ACS) division of Guidant.
"After an extensive search, I am thrilled we have selected a VP of Sales with the experience, talent and character of Joe Rafferty. He is a true leader with highly relevant experience in successfully building and growing sales organizations," said Jeff Soinski, Avinger’s President and CEO. "As we anticipate the launch of Pantheris, our commercial strategy remains focused on raising awareness of our lumivascular platform, expanding the number of lumivascular accounts, and driving utilization of our image-guided catheters. Joe's strong industry relationships and deep commercialization skills make him the perfect candidate to drive that strategy. I am excited to have him on our team, and look forward to working closely with him as he sets the direction and key strategies for our sales organization."
"Joe’s experience dating back to ACS and several other innovative medical device companies of every size and stage makes him uniquely qualified to lead Avinger’s sales organization," added Dr. John B. Simpson, Executive Chairman. “We are on the doorstep of launching Pantheris into the U.S. market, and I have the utmost confidence in Joe’s ability to lead our field organization and ensure our customers’ success with this revolutionary technology."
"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join Avinger at this exciting and pivotal point in the Company's growth," said Rafferty. “I am impressed by what the Company has already accomplished, and I look forward to making a valuable contribution to the planning and execution of our commercial strategies, as we work to meaningfully improve the lives of patients with PAD.”
About Avinger, Inc. Avinger, Inc. is a commercial-stage medical device company that designs, manufactures and sells image-guided, catheter-based systems for the treatment of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). PAD is characterized by a build-up of plaque in the arteries that supply blood to the arms and legs. The Company’s mission is to dramatically improve the treatment of vascular disease through the introduction of products based on its lumivascular platform, the only intravascular image-guided system of therapeutic catheters available in this market. Avinger’s current lumivascular products include the Lightbox™ imaging console, the Ocelot™ family of catheters, which are designed to penetrate total arterial blockages, known as chronic total occlusions, or CTOs, and Pantheris™, the first-ever image-guided atherectomy device, designed to precisely remove arterial plaque in PAD patients. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.avinger.com .
"Avinger ," “ Pantheris ” and the Avinger logo are registered trademarks of Avinger, Inc.
Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the timing of regulatory approvals and commercial launch of Pantheris. Such statements are based on current assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, include our dependency on a limited number of products; ability to demonstrate the benefits of our lumivascular platform; the resource requirements related to Pantheris; the outcome of clinical trial results including our VISION Trial; potential exposure to third-party product liability and intellectual property litigation; lack of long-term data demonstrating the safety and efficacy of our lumivascular platform products; reliance on third-party vendors; dependency on physician adoption; reliance on key personnel; and requirements to obtain regulatory approval to commercialize our products; as well as the other risks described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our Form 10-Q filing made with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 12, 2015. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Avinger disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Media Contact: Bart Beasley VP of Marketing, Avinger Phone: +1 650 241 7900 Email: bbeasley@avinger.com Investor Contact: Leigh Salvo Westwicke Partners Phone: +1 415 513 1281 Email: ir@avinger.com
