IlluminOss names former Covidien exec Avila new CEO

MANNY AVILA has been named president and CEO of IlluminOss Medical, the developer of a first-of-its-kind repair system for bones that uses a light-cured polymer to fill gaps and give much faster strength to broken bones than traditional methods of repair. / COURTESY ILLUMINOSS MEDICAL
MANNY AVILA has been named president and CEO of IlluminOss Medical, the developer of a first-of-its-kind repair system for bones that uses a light-cured polymer to fill gaps and give much faster strength to broken bones than traditional methods of repair. / COURTESY ILLUMINOSS MEDICAL

(Updated, 9:20 p.m.)
EAST PROVIDENCE – IlluminOss Medical has appointed Manny Avila as its new president and CEO. The developer of a minimally invasive system to repair bone fractures has been looking for a chief executive since former president and CEO Dirk Kuyper left in September 2014. Founder Robert Rabiner has been serving as president and CEO in the interim, but with Avila’s appointment, he will return to his chief technical officer role.
Avila comes to IlluminOss from OmniGuide, where he was global vice president of sales and marketing. Previously he was vice president of commercial operations, surgical solutions Europe for Covidien, among other management roles at a number of companies.
In late summer the company announced that its Lightfix repair system had been used for the first time on a Rhode Island patient to help repair a bone damaged by metastatic bone disease as part of ongoing clinical trials in the United States. The IlluminOss system has been used in the treatment of more than 1,000 patients in Europe, where it is commercially available and has been in use since 2010. It allows surgeons to create a first-of-its-kind patient-conforming implant that provides almost instant internal support of bones affected by cancer.
“We are pleased to bring someone of Mr. Avila’s caliber on at such a pivotal time for IlluminOss,” said Rabiner. “Through his extensive experience in the medical device industry, he has cultivated the knowledge and skillset we are looking for to drive adoption of the IlluminOss System as a minimally invasive alternative to traditional facture repair methods.”

Richard Horan, managing director of the Slater Technology Fund, which was an early investor in IlluminOss, said “This is a very important development. … It will enable the company to move forward with next round funding to support the clinical trials underway both in the U.S. and Europe.
“It is equally important for Rhode Island, as we see it strengthening the company’s commitment to building its business here. [Avila] grew up in Bristol, was a standout soccer player at LaSalle [Academy], and graduated with an engineering degree from URI. He has a unique appreciation for the advantages we can bring to bear in building a world-class medical device company here in Rhode Island.”

Since its founding in 2007, IlluminOss has raised $50 million in funding, including $500,000 from Slater, its only Rhode Island-based investor. The publicly supported early-stage investment fund also has committed to take part in the company’s next funding round, which Horan says will bring the total investment to roughly $625,000.
Other funders include Foundation Medical Partners, New Leaf Venture Partners, Tekla Capital Management, Life Sciences Partners, SR One, Longwood Fund, Excel Venture Management, Pappas Ventures and Mieza Capital.
“We are confident that IlluminOss’ technology has what it takes to redefine and improve the way complex fracture treatment can be approached,” said Fouad Azzam, a member of the board of directors and managing partner of Life Sciences Partners. “We have been very selective in the development of our team … and Mr. Avila will be a valuable addition.”

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