Predictive Biosciences has announced the appointment of industry veteran Kim Blickenstaff as the seventh member of the company’s board of directors. Blickenstaff, currently president and CEO of Tandem Diabetes Care Inc, brings extensive medical device and diagnostics experience to Predictive.
“We are pleased to welcome Mr Blickenstaff to Predictive’s board of directors,” stated Peter Klemm, PhD, president and chief executive officer for Predictive. “Kim is one of the most distinguished CEOs in the diagnostics industry and we welcome his addition to our board, whose members represent a variety of disciplines. His commercial insights will be especially valuable to Predictive as we prepare to launch our first non-invasive diagnostic assay for bladder cancer through OncoDiagnostic Laboratory (ODL), our recently acquired CLIA-certified anatomic pathology and molecular diagnostics lab.”
“I look forward to participating on Predictive’s board at such a pivotal time in the Company’s growth,” stated. Blickenstaff. “Predictive has a truly exciting portfolio of cancer assays that hold promise to significantly improve current diagnosis and monitoring standards. This, in combination with an accomplished and focused management team, positions the Company well for continued growth and commercial success. I’m pleased to accept this appointment and have the opportunity to contribute my experience in this area.”
Mr. Blickenstaff has more than 30 years of healthcare experience in finance, marketing management, sales and strategic planning. Prior to joining Tandem in 2007, he was chairman, chief executive officer and co-founder of Biosite Incorporated, a medical diagnostic company that was acquired by Inverness Medical Innovations for $1.8 billion in June 2007. Prior to founding Biosite, he held various finance, operations, research management, sales management, strategic planning and marketing positions with Hybritech Incorporated and Baxter Healthcare. In addition, Blickenstaff has served on the board of directors for a number of healthcare companies including SenoRx and MediVation Incorporated. He holds a Masters of Business Administration from Loyola University Chicago’s Graduate School of Business.
Dr. Robert S. Langer, eminent Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor and longstanding member of Predictive’s board of directors commented, “Predictive’s scientific and technological progress since its founding in 2006 has been nothing short of remarkable. While innovation remains core to the Company, commercial ingenuity will also be key. The addition of Kim Blickenstaff to the board is commendable as the Company advances its strategy to build a leading molecular diagnostics market through ODL.”
Michael Greeley, general partner at Flybridge Capital Partners and chairman of Predictive’s board, commented, “We welcome Kim, and look forward to leveraging his impressive track record with commercial-stage medical device and diagnostic companies. Kim’s input will be advantageous as Predictive oversees the existing OncoDiagnostics’ suite of pathology lab products and services, and prepares for the launch of its first urine-biomarker based bladder cancer assay later this year.”
