Stryker Veteran Joins Sonablate to Scale Non-Invasive Cancer Care

CHARLOTTE, NC – April 30, 2026 – Sonablate, a medical technology company at the forefront of non-invasive prostate cancer therapy, has appointed former Stryker Medical Division President Brad Saar to its Board of Directors. The move is a clear signal of the company's intent to aggressively scale its operations and cement its High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) technology as a mainstream treatment option globally.

Saar’s appointment brings a formidable track record of global expansion and market leadership to a company poised at what he calls an “inflection point” for prostate cancer care. This strategic addition to the board is about more than executive leadership; it represents a significant bet on the future of urology, where precision, function-preserving treatments are rapidly moving from the periphery to the core of clinical practice.

The Strategic Play: A Medtech Veteran’s New Mission

Brad Saar is not just another executive appointment. During his tenure at Stryker, he was responsible for a multibillion-dollar business, delivering sustained double-digit growth and leading 15 acquisitions valued at a combined $7.4 billion. His expertise lies in transforming promising medical technologies into global commercial successes, a skill set Sonablate is banking on to navigate its next phase of growth.

Sonablate is competing in a rapidly expanding market. The global prostate focal therapy devices market was valued at approximately $1.8 billion in 2025 and is projected to more than double to $3.9 billion by 2034. HIFU devices, like Sonablate's flagship system, currently command the largest share of this market. Saar's experience in scaling manufacturing and orchestrating strategic expansion is directly applicable to capturing a dominant position within this growth.

“Having spent my career scaling global medical technology businesses, I see meaningful potential for HIFU and focal therapy to expand within standard care pathways,” Saar stated, emphasizing that non-invasive approaches are moving beyond early adoption. His vision aligns with Sonablate's goal to advance its “precision sound medicine” platform, which uses targeted ultrasound energy to ablate prostate tissue with surgical precision but without a single incision.

A New Era for Prostate Cancer Treatment?

The core of Sonablate’s mission revolves around its FDA-cleared HIFU system, a technology that offers a profound shift from traditional prostate cancer treatments like radical prostatectomy and radiation. Instead of removing or irradiating the entire prostate gland, HIFU allows surgeons to precisely target and destroy only the cancerous tissue. This “lumpectomy” approach for the prostate is designed to minimize damage to surrounding nerves and structures crucial for urinary and sexual function.

For patients, the benefits are compelling: a non-invasive procedure, a rapid recovery, and a significantly lower risk of the life-altering side effects that often accompany traditional treatments. This focus on quality of life is a major driver of patient and physician interest. A 2025 survey highlighted this trend, revealing that 43% of urologists now use focal therapies, up from just 24% in 2019, with 83% believing HIFU will become a standard-of-care option in the future.

This growing acceptance is transforming the treatment landscape. Patients are increasingly advocating for less aggressive options, and technologies like HIFU provide a powerful tool to meet that demand. The procedure's non-reliance on radiation also means it can be repeated if necessary, offering flexibility that other modalities lack.

Navigating the Path to Mainstream Adoption

Despite the clear benefits and growing market, the path to widespread adoption is not without its challenges. Sonablate faces competition from other medical device companies, including EDAP TMS with its Focal One® system, as well as alternative focal therapies like cryotherapy and irreversible electroporation (NanoKnife).

Historically, reimbursement has been a significant hurdle. While the establishment of a Category 1 CPT code in 2021 for HIFU was a major victory that secured Medicare coverage, navigating the complex landscape of commercial insurance—where the procedure can still be deemed “investigational”—remains a challenge for many patients and providers. Consistent and widespread reimbursement is critical for hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers to invest in the technology.

Furthermore, the effectiveness of HIFU is highly dependent on the skill of the operator. The technology has a notable learning curve, and achieving optimal outcomes requires meticulous training and experience in patient selection and image-guided targeting. Sonablate is addressing this directly through increased clinical engagement and physician education, which will be a major focus at upcoming industry meetings.

The Road Ahead: Clinical Engagement and Market Expansion

Sonablate is preparing for a major push at upcoming medical conferences, including the ASCA + SAMBA 2026 Conference & Expo and the prestigious American Urological Association Annual Meeting (AUA2026). These events are critical venues for engaging directly with urologists and the administrators of ambulatory surgery centers, a key growth area for outpatient procedures like HIFU.

At AUA2026, the company plans to host physician-led discussions on the real-world use of HIFU, patient selection, and the technology's evolving role in treating both prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), signaling a strategy to broaden the platform's applications. Initiatives like the FUSION Global Registry will be highlighted to demonstrate the company's commitment to generating the real-world evidence needed to solidify HIFU’s place in standard care guidelines.

“We are seeing increasing engagement from urologists as they evaluate how non-invasive prostate cancer treatment options like HIFU can fit into modern care pathways,” said Richard Yang, CEO of Sonablate. The addition of Saar's strategic expertise to this growing clinical interest positions the company to accelerate its mission. By focusing on education, expanding globally, and championing function-preserving care, Sonablate aims to place its precision sound medicine at the very forefront of the next generation of urologic treatment.