Doug Godshall to Chair Gala Therapeutics Board of Directors
SAN CARLOS, Calif., March 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Gala Therapeutics, Inc. (Gala), a developer of medical devices to treat chronic bronchitis and other pulmonary diseases, announced today that it has appointed Douglas Godshall to chair its Board of Directors. Since 2017, Godshall has been President and CEO of Shockwave Medical, a medical device company developing a proprietary non-invasive treatment for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease that locally delivers sonic pressure waves to calcified plaque. From 2006 to 2016, Godshall was CEO and a director of HeartWare International, a medical device company created by Apple Tree Partners (ATP). HeartWare was acquired by Medtronic for $1.1 billion in 2016. Before HeartWare, Godshall held various executive leadership roles at Boston Scientific.
"We are delighted to name Doug Godshall, a proven and recognized leader in the medical device industry, as Board chair of our portfolio company Gala," said Seth Harrison, M.D., founder and managing partner of ATP. "ATP and Doug have enjoyed a long and productive relationship, and Gala will benefit from Doug's strategic insights and experience as the company's flagship device, the RheOx™ System, advances through pivotal trials and registration in the U.S."
"I have been tracking Gala's progress for the past several years and continue to be impressed by the company's achievements," Godshall commented. "Gala has the core components in place: novel technology, an experienced team, breakthrough device designation, FDA approval to start the trial, and one of the largest untapped medtech market opportunities where drugs have failed. I look forward to working with the Gala team to build out the organization and make this therapy broadly available to patients."
Other members of the Gala Therapeutics board include Harrison and Jonathan Waldstreicher, M.D., Gala Therapeutics founder and CEO and a partner at ATP.
Godshall currently serves on the boards of Shockwave Medical and Eyepoint Pharmaceuticals as well as the board of the Medical Device Manufacturer's Association. He received an M.B.A. from Northeastern University and a B.A. in Economics from Lafayette College.
About Gala Therapeutics
Gala Therapeutics is a privately held medical device company based in San Carlos, Calif., that is dedicated to developing disease-modifying therapies that improve survival, quality of life, and outcomes for patients with pulmonary diseases. Formed by ATP, a leading life sciences venture capital firm, Gala is building a portfolio of technologies to address the needs of interventional pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, and all physicians who treat pulmonary disease. To learn more, visit galatherapeutics.com.
About RheOx™
RheOx is a bronchoscopic system designed by Gala Therapeutics to reduce mucus-producing cells in patients with chronic bronchitis. The revolutionary technology includes an electrosurgical generator and a single-use catheter that together deliver non-thermal energy to the airways to reduce the number of abnormal mucus-producing cells in the lungs, making way for new normal cells to redevelop. Patients treated with RheOx have reported improvements in symptoms and quality of life (https://galatherapeutics.com/patient-stories/). RheOx received CE certification in 2019 in the EU and is currently under evaluation in pivotal trials in the United States.
About ATP
Founded in 1999, ATP is a leader in life sciences venture capital, with $2.65 billion in committed capital and offices in New York, London, San Francisco, and Cambridge, MA. ATP creates companies starting at various stages, from pre-IP ideas to asset spinouts, investing in them from seed stage through IPO and beyond. The core of ATP's strategy is to provide flexible capital and access to a world-class team of venture partners and EIRs, to build sustainable, research-driven enterprises that improve human lives. For more information, visit www.appletreepartners.com.