Martin Williams

Flarebreak (Seneca Health, Inc.)

I am developing solutions to address unmet needs in inflammatory arthritis, with a primary focus on gout.

Freelance

Advising companies on development of a business model and strategy for various areas including:

Cognito Therapeutics

Cognito was formed in July 2016 out of research from founders at MIT who discovered a profound treatment response in Alzheimer's mouse models using a novel neurostimulation paradigm. These scientific discoveries were published in Nature, Cell and Neuron. We developed a therapy, designed clinical studies and successfully showed improvement in Alzheimer's disease clinical outcomes. Cognito is now conducting a pivotal study in the US.

• Founding team member and major participation in all company building aspects since day one including product development, strategic direction, operations, hiring, clinical strategy, KOL management and BOD management.
• Co-led initial device concept selection, design and generation of IP for world-first neurostimulation device targeting neurodegenerative disorders. Issued patents: 10,279,192, 10,293,177, 10,307,611, 10,702,705, 10,843,006, 11,141,604 including 30+ additional provisional patents.
• Developed advisory board of clinical, scientific and business KOLs and nurtured relationships with academic centers.
• Designed and executed Phase 1 human studies to prove safety and feasibility of device therapy concepts.
• Designed two Phase 2 multi-site clinical studies and participated in investigator selection, protocol design, site negotiations and enrollment ramp-up. (Etude Study, Overture Study). Studies resulted in significant clinically relevant outcomes including cognitive and functional benefits in Alzheimer's patients as well as a reduction in brain volume loss. Studies also showed improvement in white matter and myelin loss.
• Facilitated investigator-initiated study with PIs at Emory University and Georgia Tech to form a collaborative research program with the Emory Brain Health Center. (Flicker Study) Results published in 2021 showed significant engagement of cytokine and neuroimmunological proteins.
• Supported the preparation of registrational pivotal study including FDA discussions and clinical strategy.
• Led the development of portfolio opportunities and the early-stage operations to pursue new indications in Acute Ischemic Stroke, Parkinson's disease, Lewy Body Dementia and Multiple Sclerosis.
• Established relationships with multiple pharmaceutical and medical device companies to explore strategic collaborations including out-licensing as well as co-development of new indication areas.

Stryker Neurovascular

Full global franchise responsibility for endovascular therapy that treats intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAD), involved in 5 clinical trials worldwide; upstream and downstream focus, from immersive engagement with KOLs on developing new concepts to broad hands-on training to physicians around the world.

• Worked with global country leaders, leading ICAD KOLs and internal colleagues to spearhead the development of a 5 year plan to grow ICAD product franchise from $25M to $65M with support from Executive Team and global business leaders.
• Won funding from Executive Team for fundamentally new ICAD therapy concept with >$15M budget.
• Managed the cross-functional effort to design new ICAD devices and the subsequent clinical trial strategy in the US and Greater China.
• Managed relationships with six global PIs for five unique clinical trials in the US, Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong.
• Identified new BD opportunities and brought new partnerships/acquisitions to internal investment committee.
• Developed and nurtured productive relationships with the top 25 KOLs in the world on the subject of intracranial atherosclerosis, including the leading US, Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong and European subject matter experts.

Bard Medical

• Led the marketing due diligence on the $262M acquisition of NASDAQ:ROCM through an international VOC and secondary research effort; led international integration summit with European marketing directors post-acquisition.
• Chosen to research and present to Chris Holland, corporate CFO, on question from Board of Directors: Should BCR vertically integrate into DME space? Resulted in shift in understanding for BOD, culminating in acquisition of NASDAQ:LBMH for $181M (Nov 2015).
• Managed the entire diligence process for acquiring a novel urological diagnostic device being developed by start-up; recommended not to buy company (May 2014) – advised startup company through new funding round (Oct 2014).
• Managed the ongoing process to create semi-annual presentation for CEO, COO and CFO on new global product pipeline working with over 40 engineering and marketing VPs and directors across 4 franchises and $850M business.
• Working with VP, Marketing, created C-Suite level three year strategic plan for $535M US division.
• Designed multiple international market VOC assessments for the entire $850M global division to identify unmet needs and market trends in China, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia.

The Innovation Factory / Accuitive Medical Ventures

• Created turnaround strategy and pitch deck for a turnaround acquisition for Portaero, a homogeneous emphysema therapy suffering from poor clinical trial results. Delivered pitch to Versant, Aberdare, and NEA Ventures.
• Analyzed clinical trial results and device performance for Sebacia, a novel, laser-based dermatology therapy.
• Developed a commercialization strategy model for introducing a venture-backed start-up medical device in Germany.

Medtronic

• Spearheaded the mechanical design, testing, and validation for robotic production equipment for a high-volume, disposable brain monitoring sensor producing more than 7 million units per year.
• Designed and built a semi-automated production factory for a disposable brain-monitoring sensor resulting in a system capable of producing 350,000 units per year.
• Led all complaint resolution and cross-functional Six Sigma production engineering tasks for Shingo prize-winning factory producing 7M sensors annually with sales of $85M.

U.S. Genomics

• Managed cross-functional team of five engineers and scientists to design custom bioagent-sample preparation robot.

Emory University

• Goetz Scholar (for Entrepreneurship)
• Beta Gamma Sigma Honors
• Dean's List
• Winner, Emory Venture Capital Investment Competition 2012 (1st place out of 15 teams)
• President, Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club

Boston University

• Arthur G. B. Metcalf Scholarship
• Dean's List
• Winner, "Most Outstanding Senior Project" in Manufacturing Engineering