CytoSorbents Welcomes Thomas Shannon as New Marketing VP in North America

CytoSorbents Appoints Thomas Shannon as VP of Marketing

CytoSorbents Corporation, known for its innovative blood purification technologies, has made a significant addition to its leadership team by appointing Thomas Shannon as the Vice President of Marketing for North America. This appointment is particularly strategic as the company gears up for the anticipated launch of its groundbreaking product, DrugSorb™-ATR, aimed at addressing critical bleeding issues in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgeries.

Dr. Phillip Chan, the CEO of CytoSorbents, expressed his enthusiasm over Shannon's appointment, stating, "We are thrilled to welcome Tom to the CytoSorbents team as we prepare for the potential launch of DrugSorb-ATR in the U.S. and Canada. His remarkable background and proven successes in bringing innovative medical technologies to market will be crucial as we aim to tackle the challenges of perioperative bleeding in high-risk surgeries."

Mr. Shannon arrives at CytoSorbents with over 25 years of experience in marketing and sales within the medical device industry, focusing on technologies that save lives. His prior roles include Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Genesee Biomedical, where he contributed to advancements in cardiac heart valve repair. His time at Fresenius Medical Care was notable as he led the launch of their Heart and Lung Acute Care division with the industry's first long-term extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) life support device.

Shannon's track record extends to pivotal projects at Getinge (formerly Maquet), where he oversaw the commercialization of 20 products across the Americas, including the highly successful CardioHelp® ECMO platform. His expertise also spans a fruitful tenure at Medtronic, where he was involved in various initiatives, including product launches in anti-coagulation monitoring and blood pump technologies.

In his own words, Shannon remarked, "I have had the good fortune to help lead the launch and commercialization of some major innovations in critical care and cardiac surgery during my career. Of them all, I am impressed by the straightforward and compelling value proposition that DrugSorb-ATR can represent for patients, surgeons, and hospital systems."

Shannon's background as a cardiovascular perfusionist makes him particularly aware of the challenges faced during complex surgeries, particularly concerning blood thinners such as Brilinta®. He noted that "intraoperative and postoperative bleeding in CABG patients due to blood thinning medications is a major problem for cardiac surgeons that continues to worsen. I cannot overstate the importance of intraoperative stability and low bleeding to the cardiovascular surgery team."

DrugSorb-ATR, which is currently under review by the U.S. FDA and Health Canada, is designed to mitigate the risks associated with perioperative bleeding and has already received Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA. This innovative technology aims to improve surgical outcomes by reducing the severity of bleeding complications in patients reliant on anticoagulation drugs during CABG procedures.

CytoSorbents focuses on developing advanced blood purification technologies. DrugSorb-ATR represents their latest effort to provide critical support for cardiac patients undergoing surgery. The company remains committed to regulatory reviews and anticipates making significant advancements in 2025.

About CytoSorbents Corporation

CytoSorbents is at the forefront of treating life-threatening conditions in critical care and cardiac surgeries through effective blood purification solutions. The company leverages proprietary technologies that utilize biocompatible polymer beads for the removal of toxins from blood, making significant contributions to patient care. With their lead product, CytoSorb®, already available in the European market and acknowledged in over 70 countries, they continue to set standards in medical advancements.

Shannon’s leadership at CytoSorbents promises to enhance their marketing strategies, ensuring more surgical teams and patients have access to life-saving innovations. The future looks bright as the company moves towards new regulatory decisions and product launches in North America.