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Too often we define the Medtech sector by the number of dollars raised, IPOs helped or companies sold. But the focus neglects the very foundation of the sector - the People. Join the Medtech Talk Podcast each week to hear from entrepreneurs, investors and executives who spend their days developing the tools that make sick people well and health care more efficient.

Oculeve Marks big win for Medtech

July 15, 2015

In this week’s MedtechTalk Podcast, we talk with Oculeve CEO Michael Ackermann about the start-up company that caught the eye of Dry Eye Leader Allergan. Allergan would pay $125 mil-lion up front for Oculeve, which is still developing a neurostimulation treatment for the chronic eye condition. But the deal includes what no doubt will be sizable (but undisclosed) earn outs if Oculeve’s OD-01, a non-invasive nasal neurostimulation device that “tells” the lacrimal gland to increase tear flow. Oculeve had only raised $24 million from venture investors including seed investor Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and first-round backers Versant Ventures and New Enterprise Associates. With that degree of firepower behind it, Oculeve certainly was fueled for the long haul. Ackerman wouldn’t provide details, but clearly Allergan’s offer was significant.

Michael Ackermann

VP, Neurostimulation

Allergan (Oculeve)

Michael is currently Vice President, Neurostimulation for Allergan, plc, and most recently CEO of Oculeve, Inc., which was acquired by Allergan in August 2015. He has eleven years of experience in medical technology development in both academic and industrial settings in the fields of ophthalmology, chronic pain and movement disorders. He received a B.E. degree, magna cum laude, in biomedical engineering from Vanderbilt University, M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University, is a graduate of the Stanford University Biodesign fellowship, and Vision Research Fellow at Stanford. He has numerous patents and peer-reviewed publications.