FAR HILLS, N.J.—Samsara Vision, previously known as VisionCare Inc., has announced the appointment of three new members to its board of directors: Jonathan H. Talamo, MD, Tracy M. Valorie, and David Schiff. They join Thierry Clidiere, Steve Denelsky and Thomas Ruggia, chief executive officer of Samsara Vision, on the board, according to the recent announcement. Samsara Vision is a developer of advanced visual prosthetic devices for patients living with late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Earlier this year, VisionCare Inc. changed its name to Samsara Vision. Borrowing from Sanskrit, the word samsara describes a path of rebirth and growth, the announcement noted. “Samsara better reflects the company’s patient centricity and focus on helping some of the most vulnerable people in our society on a path toward new sight and unforeseen functional possibilities,” the company noted.

Among the new board members, Talamo is internationally known as an experienced surgeon and thought leader in the ophthalmology field, particularly in the areas of corneal disease, cataract and refractive surgery. Until January 2020, he was the chief medical officer/worldwide vice president of clinical and medical affairs, Johnson and Johnson Vision.

Since 2019, Valorie has been the owner and president of TMV Associates LLC, a strategic consulting firm to pharmaceutical and medical devices companies with a focus on early stage and start-up activations. With more than 25 years’ experience in general management, commercial development, strategic planning, and brand and customer marketing, Valorie found success at Bausch + Lomb, where she was most recently the senior vice president, general manager, Bausch + Lomb, and senior vice president, general manager women’s health.

Schiff is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Innovatus Capital Partners, a boutique specialty finance asset management firm focused on private credit and asset-based investments, and also serves on the investment committee of all Innovatus investment vehicles.

Samsara is a privately held specialty medical device company.