BOSTON — Medical device startup Keyron has added three high-profile industry veterans to its leadership team as it readies for human trials of ForePass, a minimally invasive device designed to deliver metabolic surgery-like results without incisions.
David Feigal, former director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, joins as head of regulatory affairs; Joyce Peetermans, who spent 25 years at Boston Scientific, becomes acting chief technology officer; and Christopher Rowland, also a Boston Scientific veteran and former CEO of Neotract, has been named chairman.
ForePass aims to replicate the weight loss and metabolic benefits of bariatric surgery through a fully reversible, endoscopically implantable device. Large-animal studies published in Gut have shown significant weight reduction and improved insulin production, with safety and tolerability comparable to or better than existing options.
Keyron plans to publish head-to-head preclinical data this summer comparing ForePass to Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy. The company says early results suggest the device outperforms the $28 billion-a-year drug across all major endpoints.
“Our new leadership additions reflect the urgency of the metabolic crisis and the power of what we’ve built,” said Giorgio Castagneto Gissey, Keyron’s founder and CEO. “Their expertise will be transformative as we enter human trials and deliver the first truly effective, scalable alternative to surgery.”
The device is targeted at patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher with type 2 diabetes, or a BMI of 40 or above—groups that often require around 30% weight loss, a target current GLP-1 drugs rarely meet.
Keyron has secured clinical sites in the U.S. and abroad and is finalizing preparations for its first-in-human trial.
