Marc Began Appointed Executive VP and General Counsel at Axogen

Axogen Inc. has appointed Marc Began as executive Vice President and general counsel, replacing Brad Ottinger, general counsel and chief compliance officer. Began reports directly to Chairman/CEO/President Karen Zaderej, and is responsible for all legal, business development, and compliance activities for Axogen.
 
“I want to thank Brad for his important contributions to Axogen, and welcome Marc to our team,” Zaderej said. “Marc’s advisory background and breadth of legal experience within biotechnology companies will bring immediate value and is an ideal addition to our team.”
 
Began has supported pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and biotechnology companies as a lawyer for more than 20 years. He was most recently executive Vice President, general counsel, and secretary of Abiomed until the completion of its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson late last year. Prior to Abiomed, Began was vice president of Intellectual Property with Boehringer Ingelheim, responsible for all medical device, pharmaceutical, and biologic intellectual property issues. Before joining Boehringer Ingelheim, Began spent 15 years in various positions of increasing responsibility at Novo Nordisk, culminating as assistant general counsel, where he oversaw complex litigation matters and supported business development transactions. Prior to that role, as assistant chief Intellectual Property counsel, he managed global patent portfolios and enforcement strategy. Before joining Novo Nordisk, Began was an associate at the law firms of Sullivan & Cromwell and White & Case in New York, where he handled a broad range of legal matters, including litigation, intellectual property, corporate transactions, regulatory and compliance.
 
“Axogen has an impressive history and product portfolio, providing innovative solutions for patients with peripheral nerve injuries, and I look forward to working with the team,” Began stated.
 
Began earned a Juris Doctor degree from Albany Law School at Union University and a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
 
The Company also announced inducement grants in connection with Began’s employment and appointment and Jens Schroeder Kemp in his role as chief marketing officer. Axogen awarded Began an equity grant consisting of (i) non-qualified stock options to purchase 90,000 shares of common stock and (ii) non-qualified restricted stock units (RSUs) representing 45,000 shares of common stock. The stock options have an exercise price of $8.16 per share, a 10-year term, and will vest over a four-year period, with 50% vesting after the second year and 12.5% of the total shares granted vesting every six months thereafter for the next two years. The RSUs are subject vesting over four years, with 50% vesting after the second year and 25% of the total shares granted vesting every year thereafter for the next two years.
 
Axogen awarded Kemp an equity grant consisting of (i) non-qualified stock options to purchase 60,000 shares of common stock and (ii) non-qualified RSUs representing 30,000 shares of common stock. The stock options have an exercise price of $8.16 per share, a 10-year term, and will vest over a four-year period, with 50% vesting after the second year and 12.5% of the total shares granted vesting every six months thereafter for the next two years. The RSUs are subject vesting over four years, with 50% vesting after the second year and 25% of the total shares granted vesting every year thereafter for the next two years.
 
Axogen is focused specifically on the science, development, and commercialization of technologies for peripheral nerve regeneration and repair. Peripheral nerves provide the pathways for both motor and sensory signals throughout the body. Physical damage to a peripheral nerve, or the inability to properly reconnect peripheral nerves, can result in the loss of muscle or organ function, the loss of sensory feeling, or the initiation of pain. Axogen’s platform for peripheral nerve repair features a portfolio of products, including Avance Nerve Graft, a biologically active off-the-shelf processed human nerve allograft for bridging severed peripheral nerves without the comorbidities associated with a second surgical site; Axoguard Nerve Connector, a porcine submucosa extracellular matrix (ECM) coaptation aid for tensionless repair of severed peripheral nerves; Axoguard Nerve Protector, a porcine submucosa ECM product used to wrap and protect damaged peripheral nerves and reinforce the nerve reconstruction while preventing soft tissue attachments; and Axoguard Nerve Cap, a porcine submucosa ECM product used to protect a peripheral nerve end and separate the nerve from the surrounding environment to reduce the development of symptomatic or painful neuroma. Axogen products are available in the United States, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, South Korea, and several other countries.