In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with we sat down with Murthy Simhambhatla, CEO of SetPoint Medical.

SetPoint is commercializing the first FDA-approved neuroimmune modulation implant for rheumatoid arthritis.

Previously, Murthy was CEO of Evolus, leading the company through its IPO, and held multiple leadership roles at Abbott, including President of Abbott Medical Optics and head of the company's Ibis Biosciences molecular diagnostics business. Earlier in his career, Murthy led development of Abbott's XIENCE drug-eluting stent platform following Abbott's acquisition of Guidant. Murthy holds a Ph.D. in Polymer Engineering and is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

In this interview, Murthy discusses building commercial conviction years before launch, how to sequence platform indications around adjacent markets, and why SetPoint built its reimbursement function in-house rather than outsourcing it.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

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If you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Murthy Simhambhatla, which includes a link to ScottBot — an AI version of host Scott Nelson trained on every Medsider interview and playbook. Feel free to ask ScottBot any questions you'd like!

KEY MOMENTS FROM THE INTERVIEW

(03:18) - Murthy's journey from Guidant, Abbott, and Evolus to leading SetPoint Medical
(09:53) - How SetPoint stimulates the vagus nerve to reprogram the immune system
(11:32) - Why SetPoint built a reimbursement hub around the entire referral workflow
(21:36) - A guide to building technical and commercial conviction for a novel therapy
(26:58) - The trifecta Murthy wanted in place before commercial launch
(30:56) - Why rheumatoid arthritis became SetPoint's first indication
(36:11) - How commercial adjacency shapes platform expansion
(42:20) - A business case for handholding patients through reimbursement
(48:03) - The two lessons behind every skeptical investor question

Building Commercial Conviction Before Launch: Interview with SetPoint Medical CEO Murthy Simhambhatla

Medsider: Learn from Medtech and Healthtech Founders and CEOs

Building Commercial Conviction Before Launch: Interview with SetPoint Medical CEO Murthy Simhambhatla