Our Mission
Amnion is committed to providing minimally manipulated human birth tissue products for use as biological coverings at wound and surgical sites, delivered with the highest standards of quality and safety.
Amnion processes all allografts using its proprietary AmnioCleanse™ tissue process, adhering to current Good Tissue Practices (cGTP) and the quality standards of the FDA and AATB.
The Team
Erik Jon Melling
Management Team
Erik Melling, Chief Commercial Officer and Co-founder Mr. Melling brings over 25 years’ successful direct sales and sales management experience into the sub-specialty ophthalmic device and biologics market. Erik’s expertise is in assembling an international team of key opinion leaders to test, validate and publish case studies of cadaveric and human tissue-based biologic products along with developing and managing a professional sales team capable of delivering solid sales results.
His focus is to drive world class biologic technology sales through innovation, testing and clinical results.
Mr. Melling co-founded multiple companies including Okto Optho which launched the world’s first dry amniotic membrane for ophthalmic ocular surface indications back in the early 2000s.
Melling holds a B.S. in Marketing from George Mason University with post graduate training at the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a patent of the invention relating to the subspecialty ophthalmic device relating to lagophthalmos
Michael P. Fortkort, Esq.
Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel
Mr. Fortkort brings entrepreneurial experience to the company and a wide range of legal expertise, including intellectual property law, transactional law, and regulatory experience. While a registered patent attorney and licensed attorney in Virginia and Washington, D.C., Mr. Fortkort has also managed several successful businesses in a variety of fields. Mr. Fortkort earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Notre Dame, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from George Washington University, and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center.
Paul Behrends
Director of Operations
Paul Behrends serves as Director of Operations at Amnion, bringing nearly a decade of progressive laboratory and cGMP experience spanning tissue banking, gene therapy bioprocessing, food safety testing, and quality systems. Before assuming his current role, Paul served as Amnion’s Quality and Regulatory Compliance Manager, where he developed deep expertise in AATB accreditation standards and the regulatory frameworks governing human tissue establishments. His earlier career includes roles of increasing responsibility at Charles River Laboratories, from cGMP gene therapy manufacturing to process engineering and facility management, as well as cGMP microbiological testing at IEH Laboratories and laboratory support at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he also earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. Paul is committed to building high-performing laboratory teams grounded in scientific rigor, compliance excellence, and continuous process improvement..
Eileen Toussaint
Quality Manager
Eileen Toussaint is an outstanding Quality Manager who’s attention to detail ensures every product produced at Amnion is the highest quality product possible. She has a history in Quality Control working through various capacities in Environmental Monitoring and microorganism detection and identification. Completed her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science at George Mason University.