Denver, Colo. and Tampa, Fla., Sept. 19, 2022 — SeaStar Medical, a medical technology company developing proprietary solutions to reduce the consequences of hyperinflammation on vital organs, and LMF Acquisition Opportunities, Inc. (NASDAQ: LMAO) (LMAO), a special purpose acquisition company, today announced the appointment of Dr. Sai Prasad N. Iyer, Ph.D to the position of Vice President, Medical Affairs and Clinical Development at SeaStar Medical, effective September 15, 2022.
Dr. Iyer brings 20 years of industry experience and will provide leadership in developing and executing clinical trials, including SeaStar Medical’s upcoming pivotal clinical trial of its Selective Cytopheretic Device (SCD) for the treatment of acute kidney injury (AKI) in adults. He will also lead the development and execution of the Company’s Medical Affairs strategy, including external stakeholder management, communication, patient identification, evidence generation, publications, and medical education.
Most recently, Dr. Iyer was the interim Head of Medical Affairs and Field Medical Director at Chinook Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing precision medicines for kidney diseases, where he provided direction and oversight of medical operating strategies. He previously served as Medical Science Director at Vifor Pharma US, spearheading medical, research, and scientific affairs activities for hyperkalemia and diabetic nephropathy. Earlier in his career, Dr. Iyer worked as a Senior Vice President, Medical Director for Havas Health Network where he was involved in key first-in-class drug launches in various disease state categories ranging from nephrology to immunologically driven diseases and has significant medical education experience from other leading healthcare communications companies.
Dr. Iyer has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics from University of Alabama at Birmingham and a B.S. in Biology from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton. He completed a postdoctoral fellow at Schering-Plough Research Institute where he conducted award-winning research on intestinal cholesterol absorption, and also conducted cutting edge HIV vaccine research at Progenics Pharmaceuticals. He is an author of several scientific publications that have helped practitioners, patients and payers to enhance health outcomes.
“Bringing a therapeutic device to market requires a unique understanding of medicine, therapeutics and medical devices. Dr. Iyer’s past experience will be especially valuable to SeaStar Medical as we advance the pivotal trial of our SCD in AKI in adults,” said Eric Schlorff, Chief Executive Officer of SeaStar Medical. “In particular, his extensive experience and broad knowledge of pharmaceutical products will help articulate the organ and insult agnostic properties of the SCD. We look forward to his future contributions as we couple with the rigor of the pharmaceutical industry with the precision of medical devices to develop a robust clinical program for the SCD, and believe he will be a perfect addition to our world class team.”
SeaStar Medical is developing the Selective Cytopheretic Device (SCD), an extracorporeal device designed to be used as an adjunct therapy with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). The SCD selectively targets and transitions pro-inflammatory monocytes to promote reparative processes and reduce the inflammatory effects of activated neutrophils.
About SeaStar Medical, Inc.
Denver-based SeaStar Medical is a medical technology company that is focusing on redefining how extracorporeal therapies may reduce the consequences of excessive inflammation on vital organs. SeaStar Medical’s novel technologies rely on science and innovation to provide life-saving solutions to critically ill patients. It is developing and commercializing extracorporeal therapies that target the effector cells that drive systemic inflammation, causing direct tissue damage and secreting a range of pro-inflammatory cytokines that initiate and propagate imbalanced immune responses. For more information visit http://www.seastarmedical.com/ or visit us on LinkedIn or Twitter.
About LMF Acquisition Opportunities, Inc.
LMF Acquisition Opportunities, Inc. (Nasdaq: LMAO) is a special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. LMAO is led by Bruce M. Rodgers, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. For more information, visit www.lmfacquisitions.com.
As previously announced, SeaStar Medical and LMAO entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination transaction whereby SeaStar Medical will become publicly listed on Nasdaq, subject to approval by stockholders of LMAO and other customary closing conditions.