Joseph Stauffer, MD, has been named chief medical officer and executive VP of corporate strategy at Durect (Cupertino, California). Stauffer previously was chief medical officer at Alpharma. Durect is a specialty pharmaceutical company developing drugs for pain and other chronic diseases.

Michael Burke was named president/CEO of Imalux (Cleveland). He also will become a member of the board. Burke's 30-year healthcare industry career has included 10 years in various domestic and international management positions at Scientific Products and American Hospital Supply (now Cardinal Health). Imalux specializes in site-of-care tissue imaging systems using near-infrared light.

Stephen Faro was named COO of North American Spine (Dallas). Faro most recently was COO of Neospine. North American Spine's AccuraScope Discectomy and Neural Decompression (D.N.D.) procedure is a minimally invasive, natural opening procedure used to both diagnose and treat disc problems on multiple levels directly at their source.