About Us

DiscGenics is a privately held, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing regenerative cell-based therapies that alleviate pain and restore function in patients with degenerative diseases of the spine.

Our Mission

Improve the lives of those debilitated by degenerative diseases of the spine through innovative regenerative therapies.

Our Values

DiscGenics’ mission is to improve the lives of those debilitated by degenerative diseases of the spine through development of innovative regenerative therapies. We are committed to achieving this mission by delivering high-quality products that meet or exceed customer requirements. This is accomplished by:

• Complying with applicable global regulatory requirements and standards

• Challenging ourselves to define and evolve Quality Objectives that continually improve our Quality Management System

• Maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of the QMS

• Applying sound scientific principles to ensure that our products are safe and efficacious

• Fostering a culture of quality that promotes integrity, innovation, accuracy and teamwork

• Establishing quality as the backbone of all operations!

Flagg Flanagan

Chief Executive Officer & Chairman of the Board

Mr. Flanagan has over 30 years of experience in the medical device and biopharmaceutical fields as an entrepreneur, executive and advisor. He founded Flanagan Instruments in 1981, which he built into a leading neurosurgical device distribution business before selling it to Itochu International in 2005. He is currently on the boards of Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation, TrueDigital Systems, Peleton Medical, and Steribite. He has also served on the boards of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, as well as TrueVision Systems, Image Stream Medical, and Triad Life Sciences, which were acquired by Alcon, Olympus, and Convatec, respectively. He completed the Owner/President Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Bob Wynalek

Chief Operating & Commercialization Officer, Director

Mr. Wynalek is a skilled medical device and biologics executive with over 30 years of experience in the orthopedic, spinal and neurosurgical markets. Most recently, Mr. Wynalek was the President of domestic business for Osteotech, Inc. where he oversaw development, regulatory clearance and commercialization of numerous biologic devices for bone healing. Osteotech, Inc. was acquired by Medtronic, Inc. in 2010. Mr. Wynalek currently serves as a committee member of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine and BioUtah.

Kevin T. Foley, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer, Director

Dr. Foley is a practicing neurosurgeon and active entrepreneur who invented many of the surgical devices and techniques that have revolutionized minimally invasive spine surgery. Dr. Foley is the Chairman of Semmes-Murphy Neurologic & Spine Institute and a tenured professor of neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery and biomedical engineering at the University of Tennessee. He has authored over 44 book chapters and more than 228 journal publications, lectured at more than 691 scientific meetings and educational workshops, and holds more than 180 patents issued by the USPTO. Dr. Foley is the recipient of the 2019 AANS Cushing Award for Technical Excellence and Innovation in Neurosurgery, awarded by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. He received his M.D. from UCLA.

Colin Lee Novick

Director

Mr. Novick is a cofounder and managing director of one of Japan’s leading regenerative medicine consulting firms, CJ PARTNERS. He is natively fluent in Japanese and prior to founding CJ PARTNERS in 2012 he worked as a management consultant at Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting within the Financial Services Industry Group and at SMBC Nikko Securities, where he facilitated multiple mergers and acquisitions within the Japanese life sciences industry. Mr. Novick was selected by Dr. Yoshinori Shirono, founder of Ci:z Investment LLP, the Series C lead investor, to represent his interests on the DiscGenics Board. 

Najeeb Thomas, M.D.

Director 

Dr. Thomas is an internationally recognized neurosurgeon who practices at Southern Brain and Spine in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he focuses on treatment of degenerative diseases of the spine. Dr. Thomas is both a leader and developer of techniques for performing minimally invasive spine surgery. Dr. Thomas trained at the world famous Charity Hospital in New Orleans and completed additional training on complex spine and minimally invasive spinal procedures under the direction of DiscGenics Chief Medical Officer, Kevin T. Foley, M.D. Dr. Thomas has vast experience in neurosurgery, reimbursement strategy and business success, having co-founded the Crescent City Surgical Centre where he currently serves as Medical Director. He is also a member of the Louisiana Office of Worker’s Compensation Administration Medical Advisory Committee, and has invested in multiple startup companies that have experienced successful exits to strategic partners.