Fritz Haller

00:00 – Introduction

• Welcome and introduction to Fritz Haller, CEO of Endolastic
• Overview of the Endo Band technology for gastric bypass procedures
• Fritz’s background as a two-time world champion in Whitewater and Olympic coach

01:19 – Fritz’s Background

• Born in Baltimore, one of four children
• Father was Chief of Pediatric Surgery at Johns Hopkins (worked with Dr. Blalock on early heart surgery)
• Mother was also a surgeon
• Fritz and his brother ran away from medicine initially

01:51 – Whitewater Career Begins

• Got into kayaking and canoeing at summer camp in Tuxedo, North Carolina
• Non-competitive camp with reward-based progression system
• At age 12-13, watched 1972 Munich Olympics video and decided to become an Olympian

04:29 – Olympic Journey & Disappointments

• Made the US team with his brother in the two-man whitewater slalom event
• Won two world championships

04:32 – 1980 Moscow Olympics Boycott

• US boycotted 1980 Moscow Olympics (Jimmy Carter’s political decision)
• Team had 113 world champions across various sports
• Devastating blow to athletes’ dreams

06:28 – 1983 World Championship & 1984 LA Olympics

• Won world championships in 1983
• 1984 LA Olympics compromised by Eastern Bloc boycott (East Germans didn’t compete)
• Main competition was East Germans, who weren’t there

08:19 – Coaching Career

• Hired to coach US team in 1988 (quadrennium)
• Coached a gold medal in two-man boat at Barcelona 1992
• Reflects that coaching others was more fulfilling than individual accomplishment

10:00 – Transition to Medical Devices

• Met wife in Chile while training with US team
• Got into alternative pharmaceutical and medicine field
• Called Cook Medical about a product, ended up getting hired as business director in Santiago

13:00 – Cook Medical & Endoscopy

• Cook Medical made endoscopic accessories
• Learned about endoscopic devices and moved up through product management
• Cook Endoscopy is in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

14:22 – Multi-Band Ligator Technology

• Explains the multi-band ligator device for bleeding varices (end-stage liver disease)
• Device uses latex/isomeric bands to ligate engorged blood vessels in esophagus
• Like “docking a dog’s tail” – creates pressure necrosis

15:23 – Seeing Innovation Differently

• Fritz saw the device as more than a commodity
• Drew inspiration from sports innovations (small changes making big differences)
• References Dick Fosbury’s “Fosbury Flop” in high jump (1968 Olympics)

17:46 – Sports Innovation Examples

• Pablo Morales and David Berkoff’s underwater dolphin kick in backstroke
• Swimming rule changes: now must surface by 15 meters (red buoy)
• Fritz’s philosophy: stack small innovations for big results

19:54 – Barrett’s Esophagus Treatment

• Off-label use of banding for Barrett’s esophagus (pre-cancerous condition from GERD)
• Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR) technique developed
• “Cookie cutter” approach to remove pre-cancerous tissue

25:00 – Tissue Layers & EMR Technique

• Mucosal layer → submucosal layer → muscle layer
• Band keeps tissue separate from muscle to prevent perforation
• Shaking the band ensures no muscle involvement
• T-cell regulated regeneration by location

27:00 – The “Fosbury Flop” Moment

• Dr. Ahmad Rahmani at Indiana University (now in Dubai)
• Romani’s innovation: using the band to tighten the lower esophageal sphincter for GERD
• Retroflex scope technique to plicate the loose sphincter

30:00 – Tissue Regeneration Discovery

• Band creates pressure necrosis, tissue dies and falls off in 3-7 days
• New tissue grows back tighter due to fibrosis
• T-cell regulated by location – tissue “knows” where to regenerate
• Same principle as EMR: clean tissue grows back

31:16 – Starting Intelligent Endoscopy

• Fritz couldn’t move Cook Medical (large company inertia)
• Started his own company: Intelligent Endoscopy
• Developed Smart Band (sold to Steris Corporation in 2020)

32:27 – Long Journey

• Dream started in 2014 – over a decade of work
• Fritz was an “amateur athlete” – used to putting in massive effort

33:30 – Personal Reflection on Aging

• After selling company in 2020, Fritz felt skills degrading at age 63
• Energy, concentration, attention to detail declining
• Realized by 65 that decision-making and experience were still valuable
• Now 65 and not thinking about stopping

36:39 – GERD Clinical Results

• First four clinical patients at Indiana University (with IRB)
• All went off PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) – 100% success
• Bravo probe scores showed no GERD symptoms
• Followed for two years with sustained results
• Cohort expanded to ~700 patients

38:10 – FDA Status

• NO FDA clearance yet for GERD or obesity indications
• Pre-submission 510(K) meeting held last Tuesday
• 3-month delay due to government shutdown

39:14 – Timeline

• General ligation label expected Q1 2026
• Off-label use possible starting then
• FDA-mandated safety and effectiveness trial will take 12 months
• Final clearance expected Q4 2027

40:08 – Obesity & Gastric Bypass

• Current gold standard: Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG)
• Cuts off greater curve of stomach, creates narrow flexible tube
• Changes hormonal interactions (GLP-1, etc.)
• Problem: 77% of patients regain weight within 3-5 years

43:24 – Obesity & Fatty Liver Disease

• Obesity pandemic linked to fatty liver disease (Nash/NAFLD)
• Replacing cirrhosis from alcohol
• High fructose corn syrup is a major culprit
• Key stat: 5-7% total weight loss reduces fatty liver disease risk by 55%

45:10 – Less Invasive Advantage

• Fritz’s technology will be less invasive than traditional gastric bypass
• Comparison to arthroscopic knee surgery vs. open procedures
• Expects massive uptake due to lower barrier to entry

47:42 – GLP-1 Inhibitors (Ozempic, etc.)

• Had “absolutely nothing” impact on worldwide obesity pandemic
• Strong marketing effect in US, but Europe barely knows about them
• 70% of Americans on GLP-1s quit within one year
• Reasons: cost, adverse events, discomfort

50:00 – Restoring Normal Function

• Endo Band restores normal morphology vs. other interventions
• Only surgery that changes entire metabolism and reverses type 2 diabetes

51:33 – Gastric Bypass Procedure Explained

• Remove stomach entirely
• Pull duodenum up to esophagus, create pouch
• Very invasive and extreme
• Requires lifelong medications, iron deficiency risks
• Notable: Reverses type 2 diabetes 100%

52:57 – The Gut Brain Discovery

• 15 cm of duodenum (between ampulla of Vater and ligament of Treitz) = “gut brain”
• Where GLP-1 and metabolic signaling occurs
• Endogastric Solutions tried stent approach ~20 years ago (still seeking FDA approval)

55:00 – Duodenal Tissue Regeneration

• Fractal Health ablated duodenal tissue with steam
• Dropped HbA1c by 2 full points within 2 weeks
• Concept: Replace dysfunctional mucosal layer with fresh tissue
• Fritz’s approach: use “rubber band gun” to target duodenal mucosa
• T-cell regulated regeneration brings back functioning gut-brain tissue

59:00 – Availability Timeline

• US market under FDA clearance: Q4 2027
• Looking for investors and physicians interested in the technology

1:00:00 – How to Get Involved

• Website: endolastic.com
• Email: fritz@endolastic.com
• Connect on LinkedIn: Fritz Haller
• Looking for clinicians, healthcare professionals, investors, and collaborators

Special Offer: Save 15% Using Code “SBPOD” At Checkout

Special Offer: Save 15% Using Code “SBPOD” At Checkout