Balancing the Clinical-Commercial Tightrope

Key Learnings From Trent’s Experience

• Clinical and commercial efforts are a balancing act. You need to demonstrate your technology’s efficacy by gathering solid data for regulatory approval and reimbursement. However, you also need to consistently improve upon the design and usability of your device. Embrace the fact that the initial product may not be perfect, but if it achieves the right outcomes, you can refine it over time.

• Be willing to reassess and shift your focus, especially when facing challenging scenarios or strong competition. Don’t hesitate to reposition your product to meet emerging needs or enter less-crowded markets. Embrace change as an opportunity to prove the versatility of your technology.

• Treat your product and market with care. Be selective about who you sell to – especially if your technology requires a learning curve – in order to preserve its efficacy. Know your position in the market and articulate it clearly. Remember, a quick ‘no’ is better than a slow ‘maybe.’

Trent Reutiman brings over 25 years of leadership experience in medtech. He has been instrumental in the development and commercialization of various new technologies  – with a primary focus on minimally invasive and interventional procedures – at companies like IDEV, ROX Medical, RITA Medical Systems, Guidant, Cordis, and now Mercator MedSystems, where he’s the CEO. 

Mercator’s flagship product, Bullfrog, is a catheter-based microinfusion system designed for peripheral artery disease, and potentially other cardiovascular conditions like deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS). Unlike treatments that rely on surface-coated drugs on stents or balloons, microinfusion delivers medication more efficiently and precisely, allowing for controlled drug release when the catheter is positioned in the targeted area. 

Mercator, under Trent’s guidance, has generated significant data demonstrating the Bullfrog’s efficacy in peripheral interventions. But this isn’t the only potential application for the Bullfrog; it’s regarded as an adaptable platform for various therapeutic opportunities.