October 17, 2013 08:30 ET
Insulet Appoints Dr. Howard Zisser as the Company's First Medical Director
Diabetes Expert Tapped to Focus on Clinical Outcomes
BEDFORD, MA--(Marketwired - Oct 17, 2013) - Insulet Corporation (NASDAQ: PODD), the leader in tubeless insulin pump technology with its OmniPod® Insulin Management System, today announced the appointment of Dr. Howard Zisser, M.D., as the Company's first Medical Director. An expert in the diabetes community, Dr. Zisser has conducted clinical research on new and innovative therapies for type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes, including pivotal trials of glucose sensors, insulin pumps, inhaled insulin, oral insulin and continuous glucose sensing in pregnancy.
In this newly created position at Insulet, Dr. Zisser will provide leadership and expertise in the clinical aspects of diabetes management, including medical input during new product development. In addition, he will serve as Insulet's medical liaison with key opinion leaders, government officials, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) staff and healthcare organizations. Dr. Zisser will also be involved with a variety of clinical research projects, including those focused on improved clinical outcomes of diabetes patients.
"Howard's clinical expertise in current and emerging diabetes technologies is unparalleled and we are proud to have him join the Insulet team as our first Medical Director," said Duane DeSisto, President and Chief Executive Officer of Insulet. "With a distinguished background working on innovative diabetes therapies, including extensive research on artificial pancreas systems, Howard will be a major catalyst as we continue development of new products at Insulet. We are delighted to have him help the Company drive these programs toward commercialization."
Dr. Zisser most recently served as the Director of Clinical Research & Technology for Sansum Diabetes Research Institute, where he managed trials investigating the JDRF funded Artificial Pancreas Project. Since 2008, Dr. Zisser has served as Adjunct Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Zisser was a staff internist at Santa Barbara County Department of Public Health from 1996 to 2002 and previously held posts in emergency medicine and urgent care at Vandenberg Air Force Base Hospital, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Friendly Hills Regional Health Center and Santa Barbara Medical Foundation Clinic. He is a member of the American College of Physicians, California Medical Association, and Santa Barbara County Medical Society.
"Insulet and I have a shared passion for innovating technology to improve care for people with diabetes," said Dr. Zisser. "In this new role as Medical Director, I look forward to collaborating with my health care professional colleagues, the FDA and the diabetes community to bring together the best thinking in the industry and accelerate the advancement of the next generation of diabetes technology."
Dr. Zisser graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida in Gainesville with an Interdisciplinary Studies in Biopharmacology degree and earned his medical degree from the John Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1989.