Hyalex Orthopaedics Appoints Thomas Vail, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer and Names Adam Gridley to Board of Directors

Timely additions to leadership team and board of directors align with company's initiation of first-in-human clinical studies of novel HYALEX® Cartilage Platform

LEXINGTON, Mich., April 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyalex Orthopaedics, a privately held medical device company developing cartilage repair products based on the transformative HYALEX® materials platform, today announced the appointment of Thomas "Tad" Vail, M.D., as chief medical officer. Dr. Vail is internationally recognized as a specialist in total and partial joint replacement and surgical treatment of hip and knee conditions, having most recently served as the Michael and Antoinette Pappas endowed chair and James L. Young professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Additionally, Hyalex announced the appointment of Adam Gridley, the chief executive officer of Allay Therapeutics, to the company's board of directors. These two appointments significantly augment the scientific and operational expertise of the Hyalex team at a time when the company is bringing its novel HYALEX Cartilage platform into first-in-human clinical trials.

"Hyalex is entering an exciting and transformational period for the company, as we advance our novel HYALEX Cartilage platform into the clinic for the first time. By adding Tad's deep scientific and clinical expertise in the orthopaedics field, along with Adam's impressive operational and transactional track record in the biotech and medical device space, we are significantly elevating the company's leadership to best position Hyalex for success," said Carl Vause, Hyalex's president and chief executive officer. "We look forward to the important contributions that both Tad and Adam will make to the success of the company."

Prior to stepping down in 2023, Dr. Vail had served as chair of orthopaedic surgery at UCSF since 2007, helping to establish the department as an international leader in patient care, research, education, and global health. His research focuses on performance and outcomes of surgical procedures and devices, delivery of care in adult reconstruction, and cartilage repair strategies. He has published several hundred scientific articles, abstracts, book chapters and educational materials on many facets of hip and knee surgery, surgical training and innovation, health economics, and patient care. He is the past president of the Knee Society, the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, and the Eastern Orthopaedic Association, past vice president of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, and currently sits on the board of trustees for the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Additionally, Dr. Vail has multiple patents for orthopaedic devices and has served as an industry consultant, participated on multiple scientific advisory boards, and helped to start companies in the musculoskeletal device space.

"During my more than 16 years leading the orthopaedics department at UCSF, I was fortunate to have a front row seat to many of the most promising innovations in joint reconstruction and cartilage repair. With my perspective on the evolution of the field, along with an understanding of the ongoing unmet needs of patients in this area, I believe that the technology being advanced by Hyalex has an opportunity to be a true game changer," said Dr. Vail. "This platform has the potential to offer patients a joint restoration treatment that mimics the properties of natural cartilage in distinction to traditional orthopaedic materials.  HYALEX Cartilage is designed to accelerate recovery from cartilage injury and degeneration, either as an alternative to biologic therapy or in combination. The opportunity to play a role in such a potentially significant advance in patient care was too exciting for me to pass up."

Mr. Gridley has over 25 years experience in the biotechnology, medical device and pharmaceutical industries leading venture capital-backed startups to fully integrated public commercial organizations.  He is the CEO of Allay Therapeutics, a drug delivery biotechnology company, and previously was the CEO of Entera Bio, a biotechnology company specializing in the oral delivery of large molecules and biologics, as well as the CEO of Histogenics, a cell therapy and biologics company developing novel therapeutics for cartilage defects.  At Histogenics, he led its IPO, multiple fundraisings and strategic transactions, and oversaw several successful clinical and manufacturing initiatives for the company's Phase 3 trial of NeoCart. Prior to Histogenics, Mr. Gridley held several corporate and operational executive roles at Merz Pharma and BioForm Medical (including the sale to Merz), where he played a key role in an IPO as well as acquisitions and product launches. Mr. Gridley has served on the board of directors of LifeSprout and the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) and is on the board of advisors for Life Science Cares Bay Area.  

"Having worked in the life science sector for more than two decades, including holding senior positions within innovative biotechnology and medical device companies, it is clear to me that Hyalex is strongly positioned to make a significant impact on patient care with its synthetic cartilage platform," said Mr. Gridley. "Simple yet effective cartilage repair solutions are still one of the largest unmet needs in orthopaedics for a broad demographic of patients seeking rapid recuperation and pain relief.  Given the potential for the company's technology platform, I'm excited to join the Hyalex board and talented team and share my experiences in the cartilage repair and fundraising space as they work diligently to deliver  innovative new therapeutic options for patients who are suffering with damaged and diseased joints."

About Hyalex Orthopaedics

Hyalex is a privately held medical device company headquartered in Lexington, MA, developing transformational synthetic cartilage technology and implant systems for diseased and damaged joints. HYALEX Cartilage is protected by more than 17 patents and trademarks worldwide.

The HYALEX Cartilage platform has received Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration for a clinical trial in the United States. Hyalex is initiating first-in-human clinical studies of HYALEX Cartilage for knee cartilage repair in both the U.S. and Europe.

For more information: www.hyalex.com

Contact Information:

Tim Brons
Vida Strategic Partners (media)
646-319-8981
[email protected]

SOURCE Hyalex Orthopaedics