Thursday, July 24, 2008

Hartnett takes exec VP, COO role at med device firm Tepha

By Mass High Tech Staff

Tepha Inc., a privately held medical devices company in Lexington, reports that it has named John Hartnett, formerly of Boston Scientific Corp., as executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Hartnett will be responsible for long-range planning and corporate partner management. The position, according to Tepha president and CEO Simon Williams, is needed, due to the company’s resorbable polymer product technology and six FDA approvals since February 2007.

Prior to joining Tepha, Hartnett spent 18 years at Boston Scientific working in field sales, marketing management and eventually strategic planning and business development.

Tepha was founded in 1998 as a spinoff of a collaboration between its sister company Metabolix Inc. in Cambridge and Children’s Hospital Boston to develop technologies related to cardiac tissue engineering. Last year, the company moved from its location in Cambridge to its current spot in Lexington. Just before moving, Tepha closed a $10.7 million financing led by The Vertical Group, based in Summit, N.J., with participation from Integra Ventures, Novartis Venture Fund and Westfield Life Sciences Fund.