HighLife Appoints Prof. Stephen Brecker as Chief Medical Officer

March 8, 2024—HighLife SAS recently announced the appointment of Professor Stephen Brecker, MD, as the company’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

HighLife, headquartered in Paris, France, is a medtech company focused on the development of a transseptal mitral valve replacement system (TSMVR) to treat patients with moderate to severe mitral regurgitation. It is a precommercial stage company; HighLife valves are investigational devices and not for sale in any geography.

According to the company, Prof. Brecker has more than 30 years of extensive clinical and leadership experience in both general and interventional cardiology. He is Consultant Cardiologist at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London, United Kingdom, and holds Honorary Consultant Cardiologist status at St. George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London.

Additionally, Prof. Brecker has held numerous leadership positions at St. George’s Hospital, including Chief of Cardiology Clinical Academic Group and Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories.

He has been active in research and education throughout his career, participated in numerous innovations in the cardiology field and developed an interventional guidewire for use in transcatheter procedures now used by physicians worldwide. Prof. Brecker has published numerous books and book chapters and has more than 175 peer-review publications.

“I am delighted to be joining HighLife as CMO at this incredibly exciting time,” commented Prof. Brecker in the company’s press release. “I hope to leverage my experience as a structural interventionist, in innovation, and in the rigors of clinical trials to assist in achieving great success with this technology.”

Prof. Martin Rothman, MD, who is HighLife’s previous CMO, added, “I am glad to hand over the leadership of the medical strategy to Stephen. His significant contributions to the interventional cardiology field will undoubtedly guide the company towards success.” Prof. Rothman will continue to support the company’s medical strategy as a special advisor and board member, noted the company.

In December 2023, HighLife announced the publication of the 1-year findings from the HighLife TSMVR feasibility study by Leonhard-Moritz Schneider, MD, et al in the JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions (2023;16:2854–2865). An accompanying editorial commentary by Nicole Karam, MD, and Lukas Stolz, MD, was published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions (2023;16:2866-2877). The outcomes of the study’s first 30 patients assessed during 1 year of follow-up demonstrated a high technical success rate, excellent valve function, no left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and no need for mitral valve reintervention, stated the company.