Boston Aesthetics Inc. is gearing to enter the U.S. market with last month’s appointment of Brandon Nye as chief executive.
Later this month, the Irvine-based company will launch its first product, the ZenTite radiofrequency microneedling device, which received FDA clearance last February—a year after Boston Aesthetics was founded.
While new to the U.S. market, Boston Aesthetics’ parent company, Peninsula Medical Group, has operated in Shenzhen, China, since 2014. The company, which has more than 1,300 employees, specializes in aesthetic treatments using light, ultrasound and radiofrequency (RF).
“We’re leveraging the power from our parent company and bringing it to the U.S.,” Nye told the Business Journal.
The company is currently hiring and aims to have 50 sales representatives by the end of this year, with plans to grow that number to 200 by the end of 2027, according to Nye.
“We know a lot of the other aesthetic companies are based in Irvine and Orange County,” Nye said.
“It’s an important market and we feel that it’s a really good place to be headquartered based on the proximity to the other companies in our space and very rich talent pool.”
15-Year Aesthetics Industry Veteran
Nye has 15 years of experience in the aesthetics industry.
He spent more than 10 years in sales at Massachusetts-based Cynosure Lutronic. Nye also worked at Zeltiq Aesthetics, the creator of non-surgical fat-removal CoolSculpting, which was acquired by Allergan in 2017 for $2.48 billion.
Prior to Boston Aesthetics, Nye was vice president of sales at Irvine-based InMode. Its Morpheus8 is the first and only FDA-cleared radiofrequency microneedling device for soft tissue contraction, according to the company.
“This product is not new to the world,” Nye said.
RF microneedling uses ultra-fine needles to penetrate the skin and emit energy, minimizing pores, improving acne scars and tightening skin.
“In the GLP-1 era that we’re all living in, a lot of patients have atrophy in the fat in their face because of rapid weight loss,” Nye said. “What ZenTite does is it helps to add collagen and elastin to the skin, so as the skin starts to sag, it tightens.”
What’s unique about ZenTite, Nye said, is its ability to emit frequency in specialized patterns, as opposed to all needles at once, to minimize pain.
Physician Idea Turned Company
Nye said what drew him to Boston Aesthetics was the founder, Dr. Ray Lei, a general surgeon who developed an interest in energy-based devices after realizing how costly replacements parts can be.
“That put him on a journey to create his own company and create energy-based devices to serve the medical community that are more reliable,” Nye said.
ZenTite is a fifth-generation device, developed over more than a decade by Peninsula Medical Group, according to Shawn Ho, chief of staff for PMG and head of business development for Boston Aesthetics.
“When we entered the U.S. market, we wanted to identify the right leader with the same philosophy and mindset,” Ho told the Business Journal.
The name Boston Aesthetics reflects its medical team’s roots at Massachusetts General Hospital, Nye said.
Boston Aesthetics aims to have 1,000 units of ZenTite in the market within the first 12 months, with plans to roll out two to three new products every year, according to Ho.
As part of its ZenTite launch in the U.S., Boston Aesthetics is also launching a Pico laser for pigmentation and tattoo removal.
The FDA is currently evaluating another product by Boston Aesthetics that uses ultrasound to tighten skin without needles, Nye said. The company expects to get approval in the fourth quarter of this year.
