Dr. W. Casey Fox
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Fox conducted pioneering research in bone healing and osteoporosis while at Southwest Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the Texas Biomedical Research Institute and made this a foundational element in two of the companies he founded, BioMedical Enterprises, Inc. (BME) and Agile Manufacturing, Inc. Building products and infrastructure with contract service and Federal, State and County grant revenue he lead BME in the introduction and establishment of the U.S. market for shape changing bone compressing nitinol staples. This success resulted in the sale of BME to Depuy/Synthes, Johnson & Johnson Companies.
A prolific inventor he has had over 35 patents issued in the U.S. and Europe and published tens of articles. Skilled at medical product development, he and his teams have received 20 FDA clearances to market and commercialized the orthopaedic products stemming from his inventions. He has held engineering, advisory board and adjunct faculty positions over the last 30 years at the institutions listed above as well as the University of Texas at Austin and University of Alabama, Birmingham.
Dr. Fox founded and leads Metric Medical Devices, Inc. to broaden and advance the shape changing bone compressing orthopaedic implants he pioneered at BME. These next generation nitinol staples and finger and toe fixation implants enter the market Dr. Fox established. These products are being followed by a disruptive minimally invasive external bone fixator based on these same implant shape changing concepts. This LINK™ External Fixator will allow bone fixation and compression without open surgery. This is a disruptive concept in bone fixation and may, due to its minimally invasive technique, allow surgeons to treat more bone fractures in their office versus the hospital.
Dr. Fox and his wife Nancy are 37 year residents of San Antonio and native Texans. During his career he was recognized in 1998 as an Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year and 2005 as a Star of Innovation by the San Antonio community. In 2018 he was honored by the University of Texas at Austin’s Cockrell School of Engineering with the highest honor it bestows on its alumni, the Distinguished Alumni Award, and in 2019 he was inducted into the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s Academy of Distinguished Alumni. Dr. Fox is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas and has spent his entire career focused on the orthopaedic problem and entrepreneurism.
Jamie Grooms
Board of Directors
Mr. Grooms co-founded Regeneration Technologies (Nasdaq: RTIX), a publicly-traded company that processes human tissue for allogenic grafts used in orthopedic, oral maxillofacial, urinary, and cardiovascular surgeries. He co-invented the primary value-added technologies that formed the basis of RTIX’s product line. Mr. Grooms also co-founded AxoGen Corporation, and from 2002 to May 2010 he served as Chief Executive Officer. He had been AxoGen Corporation’s Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2002 and then served as AxoGen, Inc.’s Chairman of Board of Directors since 2011. In addition to his executive management experience, he has extensive experience in many areas of med-tech business operations, including R&D, laboratory and manufacturing operations. He has developed state-of-the-art medical processing and manufacturing systems, robotics, and other technological innovations, and has held various leadership positions with LifeNet, Osteotech (Nasdaq:OSTE), and CryoLife (Nasdaq:CRY). Mr. Grooms holds a degree in biology from Old Dominion University.
Gary E. Frashier
Board of Directors
Gary Frashier is President and Principal of Management Associates, a life sciences consulting group, and brings extensive experience in Life science management, operations and transactions having served as a CEO for twenty-four years in life sciences and specialty chemicals. Prior to the founding of Management Associates, a life science consulting group, Dr. Frashier served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of OSI Pharmaceuticals, and it was during his tenure at OSI that the leading genetic-based cancer drug, “Tarceva” was discovered and developed thru human Proof of Concept clinical trials. Tarceva is now sold by Roche and Genentech, with combined total sales of over $15 billion, and with continuing expansion into new cancer areas. OSI was acquired by Astellas Pharma in for $4 billion. He has also been involved in the development and commercialization of two other successful major drugs, one for acute asthma (Zolaire) and the other for relief of Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Frashier has raised over $500 million from a combination of equity financings, and other sources, and has organized many collaborations and joint programs with major pharmaceutical companies.
Prior to OSI, Dr. Frashier served as President, International, and Executive Vice President of Millipore Corporation; President and CEO of Waters Corporation, the leader in liquid chromatography; President of Loctite Corporation’s Americas Group; and CEO of Genex Corporation, a protein engineering company, and Continental Water Systems, Inc. He has participated as a founder of Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc (NASDAQ); Eutropics, Inc; America Stem Cells, Inc; Apex BioVentures Acquisition Corporation; LikeMinds, Inc.; and Xeras, Inc. He currently serves on the boards of several life science companies, including: LikeMinds, Inc., a private radiochemistry imaging company; Xeras, Inc., a private medical device company with products for improving the outcomes of knee replacement surgery; Metric Medical Devices, Inc, a
developer and marketer of orthopedic fixation devices. Dr. Frashier has previously served on the Boards of numerous other private and public life science companies, including Maxim Pharmaceuticals, Inex Pharmaceuticals (Canada), Tanox, Inc., Cytoclonal Pharmaceuticals Co.; Exegenics Pharmaceuticals. Inc.; and Aderis, Inc. He is also a Strategic Partner in two of SV Venture funds. He was one of the founders of the New York Biotechnology Association and was selected as the “Long Island Businessman of the Year” by the Wharton Club. Dr. Frashier is an Advisory Trustee of the Southwest Research Institute, and he is chairman of the Chemical Engineering Advisory Board at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and serves on the Board of BioMed SA.
He was recognized by Texas Tech University as a Distinguished Engineer, where he received a B.S. in chemical engineering, and by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow, where he earned an MBA. He also earned a Ph.D. in innovation leadership from Our Lady of the Lake University. Dr. Frashier is a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas, and he previously served as a First Lieutenant in the U. S. Army Chemical Corps.
James W. Simmons III, DO
Board of Directors
James W. Simmons III, DO Website
Dr. James Walter Simmons, III, serves as President of the South Texas Spinal Clinic and as one of its Partner and Staff Physicians. He holds Clinical Associate Professor appointments at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Simmons is licensed in Texas, Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons and specializes in the treatment of congenital and adult deformity of the spine. In addition to his business leadership as President of his practice group, he founded Trinity Medical, Inc. a topical analgesic technology company and served as Medical Director of and on the Board of Directors of BioMedical Enterprises, Inc. Dr. Simmons was deployed with the 5501st U.S.Army Hospital as a surgeon during the Iraq War and honorably discharged with the rank of Major after eleven years of service. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Doctorate in Biochemistry at the University of North Texas, Doctorate of Osteopathy from the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Masters of Business Administration from the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin. His Internship and Residence were at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas and Spine Surgery Fellowship at the Twin Cities Spine Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Simmons has received awards for teaching and research, holds membership in multiple professional societies, and has numerous published works and lectures. Dr. Simmons brings to Metric’s Board of Directors personal experience with the changing healthcare landscape, the physician’s perspective, and strong business acumen.