Today, TMRW Life Sciences, Inc., a fertility technology company automating the IVF lab, appointed Louis Villalba Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. Villalba has served as TMRW’s Chief Business Officer since September 2022 and succeeds Tara Comonte who has led the company’s successful growth for the last 2 years. Under Comonte’s leadership the company scaled from 5 study partner clinics to 50 contracted commercial clinics and 20% market share, launched the state-of-the-art TMRW biorepository in New York City, and obtained FDA clearance for the company’s next-generation platform for the safe management and storage of frozen eggs and embryos. Comonte will remain on the TMRW Board of Directors, a position she has held since 2018.
“As the mother of a daughter born through IVF, I remain passionate about the need for technology-enabled innovation in this field, bringing clear benefits to both patients and clinics. TMRW is revolutionizing an entire industry, delivering new levels of transparency, safety and scalability to benefit millions of future families and hopeful parents,” said Comonte. “I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to lead this incredible team and I look forward to working with TMRW as a continuing member of the Board and supporting Lou moving forward.”
“We are deeply appreciative of Tara’s leadership which led to significant market expansion for TMRW and the launch of the only platform in the world for the management of the frozen eggs and embryos used in IVF to have been successfully cleared by the FDA,” noted co-Founder and Board member Jeff Port, MD. “We’re delighted to welcome Lou as our CEO with his 30 years of global experience developing and commercializing innovative products and companies in women’s healthcare. We are excited for his stewardship through this next stage of hyper growth.”
TMRW’s partnerships with leading fertility clinics across the United States represent nearly 20% of the annual national patient cycle volume. With TMRW’s ground-breaking automated technology, fertility clinics are upgrading their frozen specimen storage and management systems and reducing potential points of failure by 94% compared to manual systems. As TMRW’s Chief Business Officer, Villalba has been instrumental in building transformational partnerships with some of the most innovative clinics, including the recently announced partnership with Pinnacle Fertility, a leading physician-led fertility care network.
“Fertility treatments have advanced remarkably over the past 40 years. As access increases and technologies improve, clinics are serving more patients than ever. But many of the systems they have long relied upon hail from a different era. Fertility clinics need and want new technologies to keep up with demand and deliver the best outcomes to their patients,” said Lou Villalba, CEO of TMRW Life Sciences. “TMRW is delivering those technologies, and I am honored to continue to help TMRW set a new standard of care.”
“We extend our congratulations to Louis Villalba on his appointment as the CEO of TMRW Life Sciences. His leadership and expertise have been instrumental in establishing TMRW as Pinnacle Fertility’s trusted long-term embryo storage partner. Lou’s extensive experience and visionary approach have played a pivotal role in driving the growth and success of our collaboration,” said Beth Zoneraich, CEO of Pinnacle Fertility. “With his guidance, we are confident that TMRW will continue to build on the momentum created, delivering a successful rollout of its groundbreaking technology. This will further enhance patient care throughout our network, solidifying our commitment to innovation and excellence.”
Before joining TMRW, Lou was the Chief Executive Officer of Genea Biomedx, a fertility technology and medical device company focused on the automation and standardization of embryologist and lab workflow. While at Genea Biomedx, he led the transition from a commercial partnership with Merck Serono / KGaA to the creation of a standalone commercial organization spanning Europe, Asia, and the United States. He ultimately led a successful sale of the business to private equity firm Liverpool Partners in 2022. Lou has also served in various senior leadership positions in both public and private companies across healthcare, including at OvaScience, Evofem Biosciences, and Auxogyn / Progyny. Prior to these, he was the Executive Vice President of Europe for Conceptus, Inc., and he was a key leader in the team that completed the $1.1 billion sale of the company to Bayer AG in 2013. Villalba is currently on the Board of Directors of Future Fertility, a Toronto-based maker of AI-based decision support tools in fertility.
“I’ve worked with Lou for many years in the fertility industry. He is a fantastic leader and is constantly looking for new innovations to further the field and improve care for patients,” said David Stern, CEO of Boston IVF. “We look forward to continuing the strong partnership between Boston IVF and TMRW to bring the best innovative technology to patients undergoing fertility treatment.”
Villalba will be based in TMRW’s headquarters in New York City.
About TMRW Life Sciences
Founded in 2018, TMRW Life Sciences, Inc., is a fertility technology company that automates the management and storage of frozen eggs and embryos. For the first time, frozen specimens can be digitally identified and tracked, safely managed with automated robotics, and remotely monitored around the clock. TMRW’s next-generation technology platforms set a new standard of care, reducing potential points of failure by 94% compared to manual systems. TMRW delivers peace of mind by helping reduce the risk of specimen mix-up, damage, or loss. Named Fast Company’s #1 Most Innovative Biotech company in 2022, TMRW has been adopted by leading clinics across the United States and will soon be available in the UK and Europe.
For more information, visit tmrwlifesciences.com.
