Company
Our Story
Preventogen began with an unlikely partnership between Joseph Sant’Angelo, a NASA polymer scientist, and Dr. Perry Robins, a Professor Emeritus of Dermatology at NYU Medical Center for more than 40 years, and the pioneer in Mohs Micrographic surgery.
Through that collaboration, a unique polymer was created. A non-antibiotic, microbicidal liquid polymer that kills bacteria, fungi, and viruses on contact, then dries into a flexible, biodegradable film that protects the wound as it heals. Today, Preventogen is used worldwide with registrations in over 10 countries and counting.
Prevent-Plus, LLC, the company behind Preventogen, is based in St. Louis, Missouri. This seemingly simple polymer has grown into a technology used across wound care, surgery, orthopedics, nephrology, and podiatry; with a growing network of clinical champions and distribution partners behind it.
Leadership
Joseph E. Thomure
Chairman/Managing Member
Joe Thomure is the Chairman and Managing Member of Prevent Plus and stepped out of retirement in 2018 due to his passion and earnest belief in Preventogen.
A graduate of the U.S Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York, Mr. Thomure was called to active duty in the U.S. Navy, during which time he was promoted twice in three years, and eventually received his honorable discharge, pending LCDR in 1977. He began his business career in sales with Hallmark, and further refined his sales and consulting skills in executive and physician recruiting.
He founded his own recruiting firm, PracticeMatch, in 1987, bought out his competitors and IT contractors, partnered exclusively with the AMA, and then bundled the data into a physician recruiting database – a service concept that had never before existed. He sold this company for the first time in 1996, grouping with 11 other firms to form Caredata.com (stock symbol: CDCM).
After considering a brief retirement, he purchased a majority position from a NY venture group in IBNL,an early e-commerce company. As Chairman and CEO, he rebuilt the company as Virtual Source, and pushed value near $650 million while earning a NASDAQ listing (VSRC). He attempted retirement again, but when opportunity knocked, he answered by purchasing the assets of Caradata.com in bankruptcy court in 2000. This formed PracticeMatch Services, LLC, which he eventually sold to M3, a closely-held affiliate of Sony. He credits much of his professional resiliency from values passed down from modest beginnings. He believes there is little a company can’t do with a dedicated team, a spirited leader, and a groundbreaking product.
Brad Chartrand
Chief Executive Officer
Brad Chartrand is the Chief Executive Officer of Prevent Plus, the parent company behind Preventogen, where he leads the company’s global growth strategy and commercialization efforts. With more than 20 years of experience in the medical device industry, Brad has held senior sales and marketing leadership roles with companies including Applied Medical, C. R. Bard, and AngioDynamics, developing deep expertise in bringing innovative healthcare technologies to market.
Before entering the medical device field, Brad built his career in professional sports, where the discipline, resilience, and team-first mindset required at the highest levels of competition helped shape his leadership philosophy. He played seven years of professional hockey, including two years with the Canada men’s national ice hockey team and five seasons in the National Hockey League with the Los Angeles Kings. During his NHL career, Brad appeared in more than 200 games, recording 25 goals and 25 assists. His contributions to the sport have been recognized with induction into the New York State Hockey Hall of Fame and the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.
Today, Brad brings the same competitive drive, strategic thinking, and team-building approach that defined his athletic career to the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship. His unique background positions him well to lead Prevent Plus.
Brad completed his undergraduate studies at Cornell University and holds MBA degrees from Cornell University and Queen’s University.
Dr. Samir Awad, M.D., M.P.H., FACS
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Samir S. Awad has worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs since 2000. He has served as the Operative Care Line associate executive, chief of general surgery, and medical director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at the MEDVAMC.
Dr. Awad’s areas of specialty include liver, pancreas, and acute care surgery, as well as minimally invasive surgical procedures. He is a member of the Association for Academic Surgeons, the Society of University Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, the Surgical Infection Society, and the Society for Critical Care Medicine.
Dr. Awad has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed and invited publications, and is the recipient of numerous awards for surgical and research achievements.
Dr. Awad is certified by the American Board of Surgery and Surgical Critical Care.
Dr. Mary Hanley, DO, MBA, UHM, CWSP, FAPWCA
Medical Advisor
Dr. Mary Hanley serves as the medical director for Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s wound care, hyperbaric and undersea medicine departments.
Dr. Hanley is board-certified in family medicine and undersea medicine. She earned her medical degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Maine and completed her residency at Kent Hospital in Rhode Island.
Dr. Hanley practices the full scope of wound and hyperbaric medicine, with special interests in: Diabetic foot wounds, chronic wound care, management of chronic venous insufficiency ulcers.
Dr. Edgardo Rodriguez-Collazo
Medical Advisor
Dr. Edgardo R. Rodriguez-Collazo is a board certified reconstructive podiatric surgeon with 25+ years of experience. Based in Chicago, Illinois, he is member of the Department of Surgery at Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital.
He collaborates yearly in pediatric limb reconstruction at Instituto Nacional de Pediatria & Shriners Hospital in Mexico City, Mexico.
Special interest in microsurgical nerve reconstruction, phantom-free amputation, and other conditions, including bone infections, congenital deformities, clubfoot, and post-traumatic disorders.
Dr. Shital Pema, DPM, FACFAS
Medical Advisor
Board Certified by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Dr. Pema provides comprehensive Foot and Ankle Care and specializes in management of acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions to include Advanced Wound Care of the Lower Extremities.
Dr. Pema specializes in services such as ingrown toenail surgery, arthritis, plantar fasciitis, ankle ligament repair, reconstructive surgery, revision surgery, sports injuries, ankle and foot trauma and limb preservation.
Before entering private practice he served Active Duty in the US Army with his last tour of Duty in Wuerzburg, Germany providing patient care in the Department of Orthopedics.
Milestones & Recognition
- FDA-cleared, Class I medical device — a non-antibiotic mechanism of action that kills bacteria, fungi, and viruses on contact
- U.S. Patent No. 11,986,568 — granted May 2024, covering our method for reducing fixation pin-tract infection rates
- 2021 Arch Grants recipient — recognized among St. Louis’s most promising biotech startups
- ISO 13485:2016 certified
- Manufactured 100% in the USA
- A growing distribution network spanning orthopedics, wound care, and surgical specialties nationwide
Preventogen is also proud to support CLESF, whose volunteer surgeons provide limb-deformity treatment to children across Latin America — helping ensure better outcomes for some of the patients who need it most.
In the News
Work With Us
Whether you’re a clinician evaluating Preventogen for your patients, a distribution or licensing partner exploring a fit, or simply want to learn more about our technology and team — we’d like to hear from you.
Prevent-Plus, LLC
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