Ceryx Medical Appoints Chas Taylor as Chairman

Chas Taylor has been appointed as board chairman at Ceryx Medical, a company developing technology that could change the way clinicians treat serious heart problems. 

Having spent several decades developing and leading medical device firms, Taylor founded and exited three international cardiovascular businesses—MedNova, Novate, and Veryan. Taylor raised more than 100 million euros in capital during the process.

“Our device has similarities to a traditional cardiac pacemaker, but its capabilities are massively enhanced by our revolutionary microchip technology. It essentially helps the heart and lungs work together to improve blood flow and alleviate patients’ symptoms—even patients with life-limiting heart failure could find that their condition significantly improves. We’re seeing that our device can actually undo damage that has been caused to the heart,” Dr. Stuart Plant, Ceryx Medical’s CEO, said. 

Taylor’s appointment comes at a crucial time for Ceryx Medical, which is preparing for first-in-man trials of its cardiac rhythm management device. The scientists behind the invention believe it holds the key not just to increasing the heart’s efficiency, but also to enabling it to repair itself.

“Very few devices have captured my attention in the way this has. The Ceryx Medical technology has the potential to improve cardiac output and enhance cardiac repair in heart failure patients,” Taylor said. “Stuart and the team have done an exceptional job so far, and I’m delighted to be associated with this exciting project.”

Thirty million people worldwide are currently living with heart failure, and it has, for some time, been the number-one cause of hospitalisation in the over-65 age group. Heart failure happens when the heart can no longer supply all the blood the body needs. This might follow a heart attack, an infection, or chronic hypertension. Once heart failure strikes, it is extremely difficult to prevent the disease progressing, and 50 percent of patients will die within five years of diagnosis. 

Ceryx Medical’s technology is unique in its ability to alleviate the debilitating symptoms of heart failure while simultaneously giving the heart the opportunity to repair itself. The company spun out of Bath and Bristol Universities and continued development of the technology in collaboration with Auckland University in New Zealand. It has undergone five years of rigorous laboratory testing and pre-clinical evaluations and is scheduled to be trialled in humans later this year. 

“This is a hugely exciting time for us, as we near the final and most important pre-commercialisation stage of our journey,” said Dr. Plant. “We know that we have created a genuinely ground-breaking technology and we’re confident that it is set to offer a much brighter outlook for cardiology patients. We also know that our core medical device technology has the potential to treat many other conditions, including hypertension and spinal cord injuries. So, we’re looking forward to developing a future pipeline of equally revolutionary therapeutic devices.”

Ceryx Medical’s technology has sparked interest from domestic and overseas markets and has drawn investment from some of the U.K.’s leading medtech investors including ParkWalk, and the Development Bank of Wales. Taylor’s appointment is the latest in a series of moves to further build momentum as the company eyes up its markets. 

Dr. Plant said, “It has been great to see that well-respected people in the MedTech and broader investment world share our vision and are committed to helping get our device out there. We feel that we now have the best possible team in place to get us through the trial phase and to build on the U.K. and international links we’ve been establishing with prospective buyers.”

Dr. Richard Thompson from the Development Bank’s Technology Ventures Team added, “The appointment of Chas as chairman of Ceryx Medical reflects just how impressive this company is and his belief in the revolutionary technology that the team are developing. We are delighted to welcome him to the team and look forward to working with him and the Board in preparing for this pivotal trial.”

Established in 2016, Ceryx Medical plans to recruit and to expand into new office and lab space in central Cardiff, as it works with partners to develop and launch its cardiac rhythm management device.