Our Company

ExThera Medical develops and commercializes extracorporeal blood filtration devices, including the Seraph^® 100 Microbind^® Affinity Blood Filter, and ONCObind™ Blood Filter for removing a broad range of harmful substances from the bloodstream of patients. ExThera Medical’s extracorporeal products have demonstrated life-saving capabilities in a wide range of critically ill patients suffering from severe infections, and the potential to treat stage 4 metastatic cancer patients. With a growing body of outcome and health economic evidence from independent clinical studies, participation in the DARPA dialysis-like therapeutics program, from successful clinical use in the U.S. and EU for the treatment of bloodstream infections, and with positive in vitro test results demonstrating removal of circulating tumor cells, the company is well-positioned to serve healthcare professionals and patients alike.

ExThera Medical was formed in 2007 through a joint venture between the Emergence Venture Partners Life Science Incubator and ExThera AB at the Karolinska Institute of Stockholm with a focus on therapeutic applications to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR). From this collaboration, the application of novel pathogen and circulating tumor cell adsorption intellectual property was developed to what is now branded as the Seraph^® 100 and ONCObind™ blood filters.

Robert Ward, NAE, PhD (h) | Chairman and President

Prior to ExThera, Robert Ward was President, CEO, and Founder of the Polymer Technology Group (PTG) in Berkeley, California. PTG was sold to Royal DSM with a 132X investor return. Prior to a successful entrepreneurial career, Robert was Director of Research at Avco Medical Products and later spent a decade at Thoratec as President of the Biomaterials Division. He has numerous technical publications and patents and has received multiple awards and recognitions. Robert studied engineering management and polymer science at Northeastern University and received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.

Keith McCrea, PhD | Vice President of Research and Development and Chief Science Officer

Keith McCrea began his career at The Polymer Technology Group (PTG), where he built a state-of-the-art surface analysis laboratory focusing on a custom-built advanced laser technique that has been used to aid in the identification and development of new intellectual property at ExThera. Keith has led R&D projects to develop new materials for several different medical applications and has a doctorate in physical chemistry, with an emphasis on surface modification and characterization from University of California, Berkeley. Keith also serves on the scientific advisory board of NESAC/BIO, an NIH-sponsored program at the University of Washington with a mission to develop new techniques to solve biomedical related problems associated with surfaces and interfaces.

Erin Borger | Chief Executive Officer

Prior to joining ExThera, Erin spent 20 years in finance at both Morgan Stanley and UBS Financial Services. Erin has extensive board experience in healthcare and education. He currently sits on the Boards of Sepsis Alliance and the Applebaum Foundation. Previously he held positions as Board Member or equivalent for Longeveron (NASD:LGVN), National Parkinson’s Foundation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Chris Evert Children’s Hospital Foundation, Queen for a Day Foundation, Crockett Foundation, Palisades Medical Center Foundation, F.I.N. Sea Foundation, Avon Old Farm School, and many others.

Lakhmir Chawla, MD

Dr. Chawla is the CMO of Exthera Medical and President of Stavro Medical, acquired by ExThera Medical, to develop and launch single Lumen Access Alternating Micro Batch extracorporeal equipment and related products. Prior, he served as CMO at La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company where he oversaw the development and conduct of the company’s pivotal pharmaceutical trial. Prior academic appointments include Professor of Medicine at George Washington University, where he held dual appointments in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine and in the Department of Medicine, Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, and was previously the Chief of the Division of Intensive Care Medicine at the Washington D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center. During his tenure at George Washington, Dr. Chawla was the designer and lead investigator of a pilot study called ATHOS (Angiotensin II for the Treatment of High Output Shock). Data from the ATHOS trial was used to support the initiation of La Jolla’s ATHOS 3 trial, that helped support the FDA and EMA approval of GIAPREZA (angiotensin II). Thereafter, Dr. Chawla oversaw the Medical Affairs launch and commercialization of GIAPREZA. Dr. Chawla is an internationally renowned expert in the field of acute kidney injury (AKI) and shock. He remains an active investigator in the fields of AKI biomarkers, AKI risk prediction, AKI therapeutics and chronic kidney disease caused by AKI.  He has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications and he is a recipient of the International Vicenza Award for Critical Care Nephrology; an award that recognizes individuals who have made seminal clinical research advancements that have significantly improved the care of critically ill patients with AKI and whose advancements have been adopted worldwide.

Michael DiMeo, MBA | Chief Financial Officer

Michael DiMeo, the company’s Chief Financial Officer, leverages over 25 years of experience in financial management and capital structuring of MedTech companies in life science, oncolytic and exosome diagnostics. As Chief Financial Officer for Vibalogics, Michael led M&A activities to accelerate the company’s successful sale in just one year. Michael was part of the integration team for the landmark merger of Thermo Electron and Fisher Scientific and went on to serve in finance leadership roles to transform the profitability of multiple Thermo Fisher Scientific businesses. He was the finance lead for Eastman Kodak’s photographic gelatin business. Michael has an undergraduate degree in Biology and an MBA from Northeastern University in Boston.

Ann Vu, JD, RAC | Chief of Staff

Ann Vu is the company’s Chief of Staff. She brings more than 25 years of quality, regulatory, clinical and operations experience in the medical device, pharmaceutical, nutritional, and biologics sectors. Ann was most recently SVP, Chief Quality & Regulatory Affairs Officer at ZimVie, where she helped lead the transition and start-up of multiple divisions from Zimmer Biomet. Previously, she was VP, Quality and Regulatory Affairs at Zimmer Biomet for robotics as well as several other business units. She has also held progressive leadership roles with global companies, including Ethicon, Ethicon Biosurgery, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Bausch + Lomb, and Steris. Ann holds an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from the University of Missouri, St. Louis and a Juris Doctorate from Concord Law School.