SeaStar Medical shares rise 10.33% premarket after appointing Michael Messinger as CFO, a biotech finance veteran with BARDA and IPO experience.

SeaStar Medical surged 10.33% in premarket trading following the announcement of Michael Messinger’s appointment as CFO. Messinger, a 25-year healthcare finance veteran with experience leading ContraFect through its Nasdaq IPO and securing a $90 million BARDA contract, brings expertise in scaling commercial operations and navigating regulatory pathways. The CEO highlighted his strategic value for advancing SeaStar’s SCD therapy, which has FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for six indications and is in pivotal trials for adult AKI. The hire signals strengthened financial leadership amid the company’s expansion into new markets, aligning with positive investor sentiment toward its pipeline and commercialization prospects.