Terumo Heart appointed William Pinon to the position of CEO and president. Pinon is expected to lead the acceleration of enrollment in the DuraHeart U.S. pivotal trials in up to 40 clinical sites and to further capitalize on the commercial potential for DuraHeart's CE Mark in Europe.

The DuraHeart Left Ventricular Assist Device is the first device to reach clinical trial that combines centrifugal pump and magnetic-levitation technologies, according to the company.

Chisato Nojiri, MD, will continue to serve as chairperson of the board and chief medical officer of Terumo Heart.

Most recently, Pinon was CEO of Bioheart, a biotechnology company focused on the development of heart failure therapies and devices.