Ceryx Medical has appointed Mark Strong, a medical devices executive with decades of global leadership experience in heart failure therapy development, to its board of directors.

Strong has held senior roles including VP of R&D at Abbott, Boston Scientific and HeartWare, and was most recently CEO of Heart Failure Solutions, bringing expertise in developing and commercialising cardiovascular technologies.

The appointment comes after the business completed a successful first-in-human trial of its cardiac rhythm management device, which is designed to improve the efficiency of the failing heart and activate the body’s own repair mechanisms. 

Heart failure affects more than 20 million people across Europe and the US and remains the leading cause of hospitalisation in those over 65, with around half of patients dying within five years of diagnosis.

Ceryx, which is headquartered in Cardiff, has attracted backing from MedTech investors including BGF, ParkWalk and the Development Bank of Wales.

It works to develop bioelectronic devices that restore the body’s natural pacing rhythms and improve outcomes for patients worldwide.