You are one of the first employees in Sedana Medical in the US, what attracted you to the company?
I was approached by a recruiting company and was very impressed by the training materials and information that was available for the European market. I was attracted by the potential impact that the therapy inhaled sedation could have. It feels exciting and, in the end, rewarding to work with a therapy that has this large potential to really make a difference in patient outcomes.
What have you done so far in the company?
When I started in September 2021, I almost immediately travelled to Stockholm to meet the team, familiarize myself with the therapy and undergo training. The first time was very intense, but extremely productive. Since then, I have been preparing for education rollouts for doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists at the clinical sites that will participate in INSiGHT-ICU, the clinical trials that Sedana Medical will perform in the US.
You are a respiratory therapist yourself, what exactly is that?
Yes, I have a bachelor’s degree which is similar to a nursing degree, but with a focus on the cardiopulmonary system. In Europe, it is common that nurses run airway management, but here in the US, that is done by respiratory therapists. We are experts in pulmonary health. In fact, all clinical educators that Sedana Medical has employed in the US so far are respiratory therapists.
What will you, as clinical educators, do going forward?
During the studies, we will be educating and assisting the clinical sites in the trials. Once the therapy is approved, we will go boots on the ground and educate at clinics that have not participated in the studies. Thus, there will be a transition into more of a sales role, but even after the therapy is approved, we will sell by teaching how to use the therapy, and how to use it well. I guess you could say that we will be educators forever.
What is your most important task going forward?
We need to establish good relationships with the clinical sites. Both to be able to complete the studies on time and to be able to sell the therapy and impact patient outcomes all over the US.