Access Scientific Reunites Core Venetec Team

SAN DIEGO – The core management team from Venetec International has reunited at Access Scientific, Inc. to launch The Wand® family of Micro-Access Safety Introducers.

The Wand combines all components of the Modified Seldinger Technique into a unitary device designed for faster, safer, simpler over-wire vascular access. With built-in passive needlestick safety and patient-safety features such as the "fast flash," self-aspirating technology, The Wand enables clinicians to perform the Accelerated Seldinger Technique, a refinement in vascular access technology.

The Access Scientific management team encompasses:

Steve Bierman, MD, CEO. Bierman is a veteran of more than 15 years in the medical device marketplace. He founded Venetec International and invented the company's industry-leading StatLock® line of catheter stabilization devices. Venetec was sold to CR Bard, Inc. in 2006, for $166 million.

Bill Bold, president. As Venetec's senior vice president of sales, Bold grew the company's sales from $3 million per year to more than $30 million in less than four years. Previously, Bold held executive positions at C.R. Bard/Davol and Medibuy.com. He brings with him 25 years of selling and leadership expertise, as well as extensive relationships with customers in the medical industry and among end-users.

Richard Pluth is COO of the Access management team and will head up operations. In addition, Pluth is working closely with Bierman to design the various Wand iterations. Pluth formerly served as Venetec's vice president of operations, successfully launching from one to three products per quarter for five years in succession.

Morten Vigeland, CFO. Vigeland was corporate controller at Venetec during its biggest growth period. He has more than a decade of financial management experience in venture-capital-backed life sciences companies. He played an important role in Venetec's sale to C.R. Bard. In his prior tenure at Applied Molecular Evolutions, Inc., Vigeland helped manage the company's July 2000 initial public offering, which had more than $100 million in gross proceeds.

Albert Misajon, vice president of regulatory affairs and quality assurance.  Misajon held this identical position at Venetec, where he successfully ushered the company through FDA field inspections, ISO certifications, and quality inspections from numerous OEM device companies. Prior to joining Access Scientific, he constructed and implemented a quality/regulatory system for a highly technical medical device company in Irvine, Calif.  He has 30 years of medical device experience.

The Wand is currently in development phase and has not yet received FDA 510(k) clearance. Access Scientific expects to introduce its first product, the Micro Access Wand, in fall 2008. At least two additional products, the PICC Wand and the PIV Wand, will be launched in 2009.

Source: Access Scientific