Limb Salvage Researchers David Armstrong and Charles Zelen Join Aethl Bio as Advisors

Pittsburgh biomaterials company adds diabetic foot and wound care expertise as it moves its first wound dressing toward a planned 510(k) premarket notification

PITTSBURGH, PA, UNITED STATES, October 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Aethl Bio, a Pittsburgh biomaterials company developing advanced wound care products, today announced that Dr. David G. Armstrong and Dr. Charles M. Zelen have joined the company as advisors. Both have spent their careers studying how to heal diabetic foot ulcers and prevent amputation, and are widely recognized for their research in limb salvage.

Dr. Armstrong and Dr. Zelen will advise Aethl Bio on clinical strategy, treatment application, research protocols, and evidence generation for Nuvoxen. The appointments come as Aethl Bio moves its first wound dressing toward a planned 510(k) premarket notification with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“Wound care has no shortage of products. What it lacks is evidence clinicians and patients can trust. Dr. Armstrong and Dr. Zelen helped build much of the evidence base this field relies on, and their guidance will shape how we build ours,” said Carmelo Montalvo, CEO of Aethl Bio.

Dr. Armstrong is Distinguished Professor of Surgery and Neurological Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. He has authored more than 790 peer-reviewed papers and is Founding President of the American Limb Preservation Society. He is the youngest recipient of the American Diabetes Association’s Roger Pecoraro Award and a recipient of the Karel Bakker Award.

“People living with diabetic foot disease need advances grounded in rigorous science and focused on preserving mobility and independence. As an advisor to Aethl Bio, I’ll help guide clinical strategy and the development of meaningful research protocols, with the goal of giving patients more ulcer-free, hospital-free and activity-rich days,” said Dr. Armstrong.

Dr. Zelen is founder and president of the Professional Education and Research Institute (PERI) in Roanoke, Virginia, and Podiatry Section Chief in the Department of Orthopedics at HCA LewisGale Medical Center. He is board-certified in foot surgery, reconstructive rearfoot and ankle surgery by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery, and in podiatric medicine by the American Board of Podiatric Medicine. He performed some of the first randomized trials on amniotic membrane grafts in diabetic foot ulcers and has since led and co-authored many of the top multi-center trials of advanced wound biologics.

“Sound wound care research starts long before the first data point, with the right questions and a rigorous protocol. As an advisor to Aethl Bio, I’ll help make sure its research answers the questions clinicians and patients actually have,” said Dr. Zelen.

Academic and institutional affiliations are listed for identification purposes only and do not imply that any institution endorses, supports, sponsors, or is affiliated with Aethl Bio or its products.

About Aethl Bio, Inc.

Aethl Bio, Inc. is a Pittsburgh-based biomaterials company developing advanced platforms for wound care and wellness applications. Building on its proprietary Hydro-Activated Supersaturation platform, the company is advancing a portfolio of products across skin health, recovery, and wellness. Grounded in scientific rigor, regulatory discipline, and audacious innovation, Aethl Bio is guided by its mission to help people heal deeply and live fully. Learn more at aethl.com.

Aethl Bio’s wound dressing is in development, has not been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and is not available for sale.

Delvina Morrow
Aethl Bio
+1 646-496-3628
delvina.morrow@aethl.com
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