Amedica Corporation Appoints Distinguished Ceramist As Chief Technology Officer

SALT LAKE CITY, May 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Amedica Corporation announced today the appointment of Bryan J. McEntire to Chief Technology Officer, in charge of directing the company's technology strategies as it expands the use of the company's proprietary medical grade silicon nitride for spine, total joint, dental devices and potentially anti-infective coating applications.  

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Mr. McEntire, who was previously Vice President of Manufacturing and Research and Development, will report directly to Eric Olson, Amedica's President and Chief Executive Officer.

"I am very excited about the potential of Amedica's silicon nitride to dramatically change the development of medical devices," stated McEntire. "I firmly believe in the future of Amedica and the role that silicon nitride will play. The company has a unique technological lead and I look forward to contributing to the commercialization efforts."

"Bryan has an extraordinary reputation as a strategic thinker and has an intuitive grasp for how new and existing technologies can benefit patients," Olson said in a statement. "Together with his continued support as the Chief Technology Officer, we will more fully align our development and commercialization efforts to maximize the return on investment from the various silicon nitride projects currently under development."

To add to his accomplishments, last month, Mr. McEntire was also elevated to the level of "Fellow" with the American Ceramic Society. This is a rare honor. Less than 1,000 individuals have been nominated to receive this award during the Society's 114 year history. Mr. McEntire will be awarded with his fellowship status at the Society's Honors and Awards Banquet to be held during its 114th Annual Meeting on Monday, October 8, 2012, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Prior to joining Amedica, Mr. McEntire served as a Senior Director of Supply Chain Management at Applied Materials in Silicon Valley from 1998 to 2004. Before joining Applied Materials, he was General Manager of Norton Advanced Ceramics, a division of Saint-Gobain Industrial Ceramics Corporation, from 1993 to 1998. From 1987 to 1993, Mr. McEntire served in various positions for a joint-venture between Norton Company and TRW, Inc., including Vice President and Technical Director. Earlier in his career, he was Manager of Ceramic Production and Development and Plant Manager for Ceramatec, Inc. in Salt Lake City, UT.

Mr. McEntire holds B.S. and M.B.A. degrees in Materials Science and Engineering, and Operations Management, respectively, both from the University of Utah. He is an author or co-author of over 30 technical papers on ceramic materials, processing and characterization; and served as an invited short-course lecturer on Forming of Ceramics at the Annual Meeting of the American Ceramic Society from 1986 to 1995.

For more information about Amedica Corporation, visit www.amedica.com. 

About Amedica Corporation

Amedica is an emerging spine and orthopaedic implant and device manufacturing and distribution company that provide advanced surgical applications including silicon nitride ceramic technologies. The company's platform technologies represent a new standard for implants and biologics based on superior performance, safety and efficacy. Amedica is a privately held, private equity backed ceramic manufacturing and implant distribution company, founded in 2002 by internationally recognized Orthopaedic surgeons and ceramicists. The company is ISO 13485 certified and its products are FDA cleared and CE and ANVISA approved. Amedica Corporation is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

SOURCE Amedica Corporation