NewCardio, Inc. (NewCardio), a cardiovascular devices and healthcare information technology company, has elected Michael E. Hanson as the board of director of the company, effective April 1, 2009. Prior to this, Hanson is a founding partner of Barnard Life Sciences. From 2004 to 2009, Hanson was a member of the board of directors, compensation and audit committees, of Indevus Pharmaceuticals.
From 2002 to 2006, Hanson was a member of the board of directors, compensation and audit committees, of GlycoGenesis, an oncology-focused company. From 1998 to 2001, he was a member of the board of directors, compensation and audit committees, of MGI Pharma, Inc., which was later purchased by Eisai Pharmaceuticals. Hanson also serves on the board of directors of Z-92 Pharma and Elcos, Inc., and is also a member of Pearl Street Ventures, a venture capital firm that specializes in healthcare companies and Cardinal Equity Partners, a private equity firm. Earlier, Hanson spent 25 years in positions of increasing responsibility at Eli Lilly and Company. His responsibilities at Lilly included sales, sales management, marketing and operations. He served as president and general manager of Eli Lilly Japan KK from 1989 to 1992. He subsequently served as vice president of Lilly Research Laboratories with responsibilities for the Medical Department, a global organization responsible for the clinical development of pipeline products from Phase 1 through Phase 4 post marketing support and compliance studies. He culminated his Lilly career as president of the internal medicine business unit which included all cardiovascular and oncology products and became a member of the Eli Lilly and Co. Operations Committee (the senior management group of the company at that time). Hanson received a B.S. in Pharmacy from North Dakota State University and an M.S. in Hospital Pharmacy Administration from the University of Minnesota, and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Hanson commented, ‘I believe NewCardio’s platform technology has the potential to improve both drug development efforts and patient outcomes by increasing the diagnostic value of ECG tests in a wide range of applications. I am excited to add my experience and my expertise in the pharmaceutical segment and help to accelerate the development of applications based on this innovative and exciting platform technology.’
Vajdic added, ‘Mike adds an impressive amount of relevant industry experience from his 25 years at Eli Lilly and Company and experience as a director for several private as well as publicly traded healthcare and pharmaceutical companies. We are excited to add him to our board of directors and are confident we will benefit from his proven expertise as a healthcare professional, an investment consultant and a public company director.’