FEops Appoints Euan S. Thomson as Board Chair

January 12, 2023—FEops, the Belgium-based developer of the HeartGuide, announced the appointment of Euan S. Thomson, PhD, as the company’s Chairman. Dr. Thomson succeeds veteran medical device executive Rob Michiels, who will continue to serve FEops as an independent board member.

FEops’ HeartGuide is a cloud-based procedure-planning software solution that uses digital twin technology to provide preoperative insights into the interaction between transcatheter structural heart devices and specific patient anatomy. The technology is used by both clinicians and medical device manufacturers.

The company advised that it intends to expand its digital twin approach to other applications. Dr. Thomson will work with the management team to support this expanded digital health strategy.

Mr. Michiels commented in the company’s press release, "Having extensive experience in digital health and data-driven healthcare strategies, Euan Thomson is the ideal person to help FEops expand its unique digital twin technology to other digital health indications. I am thrilled to continue to support FEops in this substantial expansion of medical technology reach as an independent board member."

Dr. Thomson stated, “I am grateful for the trust from the entire FEops team and its investors, and I’m looking forward to what we will achieve together. With what I have seen from FEops so far, I genuinely believe in the potential of FEops and truly look forward to expand together in new areas.”

FEops’ CEO and cofounder Matthieu De Beule, PhD, added, “With Rob Michiels and Euan Thomson as an independent board member and nonexecutive chairman in the FEops board, we combine a wealth of experience in the structural heart and the digital health industry. We feel privileged that both have chosen to support FEops in its plan to alter the course of structural heart and other diseases with our game-changing predictive digital twin technology.”

FEops advised that the company has made significant progress with the rollout of the HeartGuide solution. Recently, the PREDICT-LAA randomized clinical trial has shown the benefit of the digital twin approach when compared to conventional planning techniques.

Data from the trial demonstrated that left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) procedures with the Amplatzer Amulet device (Abbott) that were planned via HeartGuide resulted in significantly improved procedural efficiency and outcomes.

The PREDICT-LAA findings were presented during the Late-Breaking Innovation session at TCT 2022, the 34th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics scientific symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation held September 16-19 in Boston, Massachusetts.

In October 2021, FEops announced de novo authorization from the FDA for the HeartGuide for LAAO with the Watchman device (Boston Scientific Corporation).