EnteroMedics Announces Appointment of Scott A. Shikora, MD, FACS as Executive Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer

ST. PAUL, Minn., April 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- EnteroMedics Inc. (NASDAQ: ETRM), the developer of medical devices using neuroblocking therapy to treat obesity, metabolic diseases and other gastrointestinal disorders, today announced that Scott A. Shikora, MD, FACS has been named Executive Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer of EnteroMedics, effective June 1, 2015.  In this role, he will lead the Company's medical affairs, clinical and regulatory functions.  Dr. Shikora previously served as EnteroMedics' Consulting Chief Medical Officer.  The Company also announced today that Tonya Dowd, MPH, has joined EnteroMedics as Vice President of Reimbursement, effective April 4, 2015.

"Dr. Shikora brings extensive experience in bariatric and metabolic surgery, as well as  neuromodulation and clinical development expertise that will be invaluable to our clinical, research and commercial development of vBloc Therapy," said Mark B. Knudson, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of EnteroMedics Inc. "We are delighted to welcome someone with Scott's skill, reputation and acumen to the executive leadership team as we continue to execute our ongoing clinical and commercial strategies."

"vBloc Therapy is a game-changing obesity treatment that offers physicians an effective and unique way to deliver meaningful and durable weight loss using the safest surgical device option available," said Scott A. Shikora, MD, FACS. "I am pleased to be formally joining EnteroMedics as we embark on realizing the full potential of this first of its kind therapy for both patients and payers."

Dr. Knudson added: "We are also pleased to welcome Tonya to EnteroMedics.  She has been recognized as an accomplished leader in the health care reimbursement arena for over 20 years and we expect her contributions to the Company to be an integral part of building private and public reimbursement support for vBloc Therapy."

Dr. Shikora has over 20 years of experience in the field of obesity. Currently, he is an Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and the Director of the Center for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.  Prior to that, Scott worked at Tufts Medical Center in Boston for over 16 years, where he was the Director of the Weight and Wellness Center, and Chief of the divisions of Bariatric and General Surgery.  He is a member of several medical societies and was active in leadership in the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition where he is a past president and former board member.  He is past president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and a former Executive Council member. Dr. Shikora is Editor-in-Chief of Obesity Surgery and an Associate Editor of the surgical journal Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases.  Dr. Shikora has authored numerous book chapters and journal publications and has made hundreds of presentations internationally on bariatric surgery, new technologies and nutrition support topics.  He received his MD from the Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons and completed his surgical residency and Nutrition Support fellowship at New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston.

As Director of Reimbursement Policy and Market Access at Quorum Consulting, Ms. Dowd managed the Reimbursement Policy business unit and developed reimbursement and commercial strategies across Quorum's portfolio of clients in the molecular diagnostics, medical device and biopharma arenas.  Prior to joining Quorum Consulting, Ms. Dowd spent nine years at Johnson & Johnson where her innovative reimbursement programs and creative health plan interactions contributed to the successful commercialization of new technologies for the general surgery, oncology, bariatric surgery, urology, gastroenterology, anesthesia, gynecology and otolaryngology franchises.   Prior to her tenure at Johnson & Johnson, Ms. Dowd co-founded a reimbursement consulting company and worked for numerous medical device and pharmaceutical companies including Covance Healthcare Economics and Outcomes Research and National Data Corporation (NDC).  Ms. Dowd holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in Health Policy and a Master of Public Health from the University of California Los Angeles.

About EnteroMedics Inc.

EnteroMedics is a medical device company focused on the development and commercialization of its neuroscience based technology to treat obesity and metabolic diseases. vBloc Therapy, delivered by a pacemaker-like device called the Maestro® Rechargeable System, is designed to intermittently block the vagus nerves using high-frequency, low-energy, electrical impulses. EnteroMedics' Maestro Rechargeable System has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, CE Mark and is listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.

Information about the Maestro® Rechargeable System and vBloc® Therapy

You should not have an implanted Maestro Rechargeable System if you have cirrhosis of the liver, high blood pressure in the veins of the liver, enlarged veins in your esophagus or a significant hiatal hernia of the stomach; if you need magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); if you have a permanently implanted, electrical medical device; or if you need a diathermy procedure using heat.  The most common related adverse events that were experienced during clinical study of the Maestro System included pain, heartburn, nausea, difficulty swallowing, belching, wound redness or irritation, and constipation.

Talk with your doctor about the full risks and benefits of vBloc Therapy and the Maestro Rechargeable System. For additional prescribing information, please visit www.enteromedics.com

If you are interested in learning more about vBloc Therapy, please visit www.enteromedics.com/vbloc.asp  or call 1-800-MY-VBLOC.

Forward-Looking Safe Harbor Statement:

This press release contains forward-looking statements about EnteroMedics Inc. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed due to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors including our limited history of operations; our losses since inception and for the foreseeable future; our lack of commercial sales experience with our Maestro® Rechargable System for the treatment of obesity in the United States or in any foreign market other than Australia and the European Community; our ability to comply with the Nasdaq continued listing requirements; our ability to commercialize our Maestro System; our dependence on third parties to initiate and perform our clinical trials; the need to obtain regulatory approval for any modifications to our Maestro System; physician adoption of our Maestro System and vBloc® Therapy; our ability to obtain third party coding, coverage or payment levels; ongoing regulatory compliance; our dependence on third party manufacturers and suppliers; the successful development of our sales and marketing capabilities; our ability to raise additional capital when needed; international commercialization and operation; our ability to attract and retain management and other personnel and to manage our growth effectively; potential product liability claims; potential healthcare fraud and abuse claims; healthcare legislative reform; and our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our technology and products. These and additional risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, particularly those factors identified as "risk factors" in the annual report on Form 10-K filed March 13, 2015. We are providing this information as of the date of this press release and do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE EnteroMedics Inc.

Related Links

http://www.enteromedics.com