ONWARD Strengthens Leadership Team with Key Appointments in Clinical & Regulatory and Marketing

Erika Ross to join the company as VP Global Clinical & Regulatory, and Sarah Moore to join as VP Global Marketing

EINDHOVEN, the Netherlands, LAUSANNE, Switzerland, and BOSTON, MA USA, Jan. 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ONWARD Medical N.V. (Euronext: ONWD), the medical technology company creating innovative therapies to restore movement, independence, and health in people with spinal cord injury (SCI), today announced two key appointments to its leadership team to drive the Company’s clinical research and commercial activities. Both new hires will be based in the US and will report to Dave Marver, CEO.

New VP Global Clinical & Regulatory – Erika Ross, PhD

Erika Ross will join ONWARD as Vice President, Global Clinical & Regulatory, effective January 23, 2023. In this newly created role, Erika will assume global leadership of ONWARD’s clinical and regulatory activities.

Erika joins ONWARD from Abbott Neuromodulation, where she was Director, Global Clinical & Applied Research. Previously, as Neuroscience Director at Cala Health, she managed the scientific research program that led to de novo clearance and launch of the company’s neurostimulation technology. Erika also served as Deputy Director, Medical Device Innovation Accelerator, Department of Surgery and Assistant Professor, Department of Neurologic Surgery at Mayo Clinic. Erika holds a BSc in Biology and Business and an MSc in Molecular Biology from the University of Denver, and a PhD in Neuroscience from Mayo Clinic.

“I am delighted to welcome Erika to our leadership team,” said Dave Marver, Chief Executive Officer. “Her deep expertise in neuromodulation will strengthen our company as we prepare to commercialize the many promising therapies in our pipeline. Erika also brings outstanding relationships with researchers and clinicians, forged during her years working in neuroscience and neurosurgery at Mayo Clinic and continuing after she transitioned to industry.”

“I am humbled by the opportunity to help advance ONWARD’s therapies to address critical unmet needs for people who have experienced spinal cord injury. I am also thrilled to join this passionate and highly capable leadership team, which is driven to make these important therapies accessible as soon as possible,” commented Erika Ross.

New VP, Global Marketing – Sarah Moore

Sarah Moore will join ONWARD as Vice President, Global Marketing, effective February 1, 2023. In this role, Sarah will be responsible for ONWARD’s global marketing operations, including product management and launch planning.

Sarah comes to ONWARD from Nevro, an implantable neuromodulation company, where she served as Head of Commercial Marketing. Prior to that, she held various leadership roles in global marketing across multiple Johnson & Johnson medical device franchises, most recently as the business unit leader for J&J’s Advanced Imaging business. Sarah earned an MBA from Duke University and a BA in German from Washington and Lee University.

“Sarah’s extensive background in the marketing of medical devices, and particularly neuromodulation therapies, will be invaluable as we prepare to commercialize our first therapy later this year,” said Dave Marver. “She brings a broad range of capabilities that extend beyond marketing which will help us scale.”

“I am inspired by the ONWARD mission, and it’s an honor to join this world-class team focused on restoring function in people with spinal cord injury. I am looking forward to partnering with the clinical community to bring this game-changing therapy to market,” added Sarah Moore.

About ONWARD Medical

ONWARD is a medical technology company creating innovative therapies to restore movement, independence, and health in people with spinal cord injuries. ONWARD’s work builds on more than a decade of basic science and preclinical research conducted at the world’s leading neuroscience laboratories. ONWARD’s ARC Therapy, which can be delivered by implantable (ARC-IM) or external (ARC-EX) systems, is designed to deliver targeted, programmed spinal cord stimulation to restore movement and other functions in people with spinal cord injury, ultimately improving their quality of life.

ONWARD has received five Breakthrough Device Designations from the US FDA encompassing both ARC-IM and ARC-EX. ARC-EX is an external, non-invasive platform consisting of a wearable stimulator and wireless programmer. Positive top-line data were reported in 2022 from the company’s first pivotal study, called Up-LIFT, evaluating the ability of transcutaneous ARC Therapy to improve upper extremity strength and function. The company is now preparing marketing approval submissions for the US and Europe. ARC-IM consists of an implantable pulse generator and lead that is placed near the spinal cord. The company completed its first-in-human use of the ARC-IM neurostimulator in 2022.

ONWARD is headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. It maintains a Science and Engineering Center in Lausanne, Switzerland, and has a growing US presence in Boston, Massachusetts. The company has an academic partnership with .NeuroRestore, a collaboration between the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV). For additional information about the company, please visit ONWD.com. To access our 2023 Financial Calendar, please visit IR.ONWD.com.

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Disclaimer

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