Sanovas Fills Corporate Bench with Industry Veterans In Clinical, Regulatory and Finance

SAUSALITO, Calif., Sept. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanovas Inc., a life science  technology company focused on developing and commercializing the next-generation of micro-invasive diagnostics, devices and drug delivery technologies, announced today that it has hired three  industry veterans to serve on its executive team. Mike Humason joins Sanovas as vice president of clinical affairs and physician education; Carlos Gonzalez joins as vice president of regulatory affairs and quality assurance, and Robert E. Farrell joins as chief financial officer.

"As Sanovas accelerates toward commercialization, we are committed to building an executive team comprised of talented and seasoned leaders, particularly in the critical areas of clinical affairs, regulatory affairs and finance," Sanovas CEO Larry Gerrans said. "Mike, Carlos and Bob bring over 100 years of professional expertise and operational excellence to Sanovas. As importantly, they are passionate about the urgency of our mission to increase survival and improve the quality of life for the millions of patients suffering from lung cancer and pulmonary disease."

With over 30 years experience in management, clinical sales and marketing in the medical device industry, Mike Humason will lead Sanovas' clinical operations. Humason has faithfully served to advance innovation in surgical science through physician education and patient care initiatives on behalf of such esteemed companies as ERBE USA, Midmark Surgical, Datel Systems and Karl Storz. Most recently, he led the start-up efforts for Given Imaging, Inc., where he was instrumental in managing pre-market clinical trials and the post-approval sales efforts of the company's revolutionary 'Pill Cam', Capsule endoscopy system for diagnostic imaging of the GI Tract.

Carlos Gonzalez joins Sanovas as an industry veteran with more than 35 years of experience serving vital roles in engineering, operations, regulatory affairs, quality assurance and corporate compliance. Mr. Gonzalez' career spanned operational roles in biologics at Alpha Therapeutics and Pfizer as well as engineering and quality roles in high volume medical device production at Baxter.

Prior to joining Sanovas, Mr. Gonzalez served as vice president of regulatory affairs, quality assurance and corporate compliance for Stryker Endoscopy, a division of Stryker Corp. At Stryker, Carlos was responsible for nearly 100 successful FDA 510(k) submissions and dozens of foreign product submissions over 15 years. His leadership contributed to the growth of three newly acquired business units; taking the company from 55 to over 1000 employees and from $60 million to over $550 million in revenues.

As chief financial officer, Robert E. Farrell's credentials encompass all aspects and responsibilities of being the chief financial officer of a public company, including all financial, accounting, SEC, Sarbanes-Oxley, public relations and investor activities. He is a highly seasoned corporate executive and lawyer with over 35 years' experience serving as general counsel, president and CEO and as executive vice president and CFO. Mr. Farrell possesses extensive financing experience with private placements, initial public offerings, mergers, acquisitions, licensing and strategic corporate partnerships on behalf of Brae Corporation, GenStar, Fresenius and Titan Pharmaceuticals.

Prior to joining Sanovas, Bob served as the president, CEO and CFO of Titan Pharmaceuticals, where he was responsible for all financial, accounting, SEC and investor activities at the company. He structured numerous licenses, sales and acquisitions of the company's assets in driving operational efficiencies that structured and re-purposed the company's focus. Prior to that, he served as the Corporate Group vice president and CFO at Fresenius USA.  While at Fresenius USA, Farrell oversaw the company's initial public offering, nine merger and acquisition transactions and all financial, accounting, insurance, SEC, legal and investor relations activities.  Serving as president of GenStar's, TXL Securities division, he managed dozens of corporate financing transactions in growing the corporate finance business of the company. Mr. Farrell earned his Bachelor of Arts in government from University of Notre Dame and his Juris Doctorate from University of California, Hastings College of Law.

Sanovas' Vas Zeppelin™ Smart Catheter technology portfolio is designed to access, image, measure, and diagnose anatomy in small airways and vessels residing at, or below, three millimeters in diameter. Featuring the world's smallest surgical camera, the Vas Zeppelin™ allows the removal of tumors and other obstructions and enables the local delivery of drug and immune therapies to patients suffering from lung cancer and related pulmonary and vascular diseases.  

About Sanovas

Sanovas Inc., based in Sausalito, Calif., is a medical technology company focused on developing and commercializing next-generation micro-invasive diagnostics, devices and drug delivery technologies for unmet clinical needs. Sanovas' microsurgical technology platform is designed to give surgeons the ability to access and visualize previously inaccessible areas of the body; enabling them to diagnose, treat and deliver drug and immune therapies to small diameter anatomy in entirely new ways. Privately held, Sanovas was founded by the pioneers in minimally invasive surgery. The company has more than 45 multi-national patents pending.

Media Contacts:                                          

Racepoint Group
For Sanovas
Susan Thomas, 619-540-9195

SOURCE Sanovas Inc.