Axogen, Inc. announced that President Karen Zaderej plans to retire from the Company by January 2025. The Company?s Board of Directors will retain an executive recruitment firm to manage a search for her successor. Ms. Zaderej will step down from her executive post and Board duties and continue as a consultant to Axogen for an additional nine months to support the leadership transition and the submission process of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for Avance® Nerve Graft.

The transition is planned to be no later than Jan. 5, 2025. Ms. Zaderej has led the transformation of Axogen from a small start-up company to a category leader in the growing market of nerve repair.

As one of Axogen?s first employees, Ms. Zaderej initially oversaw the Company?s sales and marketing function before moving into the role of Chief Operating Officer and then CEO in 2010. Under her leadership, Axogen has built awareness of the patient quality of life impact related to nerve damage and has created the market for nerve repair. She has driven the diversification of Axogen?s portfolio to address nerve connection, protection, and termination with multiple nerve repair product launches and has led the work to develop a unique regulatory strategy for Avance with a planned filing of a BLA in the second quarter of this year.