Author: KBD Admin

PALO ALTO, Calif. – May 1, 2025 – Frazier Life Sciences (FLS), a longstanding investment firm focused on innovative therapeutics, today announced the appointment of Gordon Empey as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Gordon, who brings more than 25 years of experience advising venture capital investors and life sciences companies, will continue in his roles as Partner and General Counsel alongside his new responsibilities as COO.

In his expanded role, Gordon will oversee FLS’ enterprise functions, including legal, investor relations, operations, compliance, human resources, and information technology, while working closely with the investment and finance teams to align business operations with the firm’s strategic goals.

“Gordon has played an important role in FLS’ strategic expansion, contributing to the development of our long-only public fund strategy and the launch of FLS Public Funds,” said Patrick Heron, Managing Partner at FLS. “His appointment is a natural progression from his impactful leadership as Partner and General Counsel, where he has helped position the firm for sustained success and growth. We are excited for him to take on this expanded role.”

Since joining FLS in 2017, Gordon has served as General Counsel and Partner on the Life Sciences team, supporting the firm’s continued growth through its venture funds, including Frazier Life Sciences IX, L.P. ($419M), Frazier Life Sciences X, L.P. ($617M), and Frazier Life Sciences XI, L.P. ($987M). In his role, he has led investment structuring efforts, supported company formation activities, and advised numerous life sciences venture firms and portfolio companies on corporate strategy and transactions. Gordon also played a key role in the formation and launch of the FLS-sponsored SPAC, Frazier Lifesciences Acquisition Corporation, where he served as Vice President and General Counsel.

“It has been a privilege to work alongside the entire Frazier Life Sciences team and to contribute to the firm’s evolution during a period of meaningful growth,” said Gordon Empey, COO, Partner and General Counsel at FLS. “I look forward to continuing to support the firm’s efforts to build transformative companies that can have a significant impact on patients’ lives.”

Prior to joining FLS, Gordon was a Partner with Cooley LLP, one of the leading biotechnology and technology law firms. Before joining Cooley LLP, Gordon was Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Radiant Research. Early in his career, he served as an officer in the United States Navy, Judge Advocate General Corps. Gordon holds a J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law and graduated with High Honors in History, magna cum laude from Colgate University.

About Frazier Life Sciences:

Frazier Life Sciences invests globally in private and publicly traded companies that discover, develop, and commercialize innovative biopharmaceuticals. Frazier Life Sciences manages over $3.9 billion in capital, including Venture Funds focusing on company creation and private companies and the long-only Public Funds focused on small and mid-cap public companies. Since 2005, over 60 Frazier Life Sciences portfolio companies, many of which were created or seeded by FLS, have completed IPOs or M&As. The Frazier Life Sciences team consists of over 40 professionals in biopharmaceuticals, primarily located in Palo Alto, CA. (headquarters), San Diego, Seattle, Boston, New York, and London.

For more information about Frazier Life Sciences, please visit frazierls.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Ailsa Dalgliesh, Ph. D.
Head of Investor Relations
ailsa@frazierls.com

PALO ALTO, Calif. – April 1, 2025 – Frazier Life Sciences (FLS), a longstanding investment firm focused on innovative therapeutics, today announced that Chris Aakre, Ph.D., is joining the FLS team as Principal of Company Creation. Dr. Aakre brings close to 10 years of providing strategic guidance in the life sciences space.

“We are thrilled to welcome Chris to Frazier Life Sciences,” said Patrick Heron, Managing Partner at FLS. “Chris’ science-driven approach and passion for shaping the strategic direction of innovative biotech companies will prove valuable as we continue to build and invest in transformative life science companies.”

Dr. Aakre brings deep expertise in program management, business development, and strategic execution in biopharma. His passion for collaborative problem-solving and translating scientific breakthroughs into real-world impact further strengthens FLS’ ability to build and advance biotech companies. As Principal of Company Creation, Dr. Aakre will help drive FLS’ company creation efforts and advance its mission of investing in and building pioneering life sciences companies.

“I have been highly impressed by Frazier Life Sciences’ strategic approach to navigating the complexities of life sciences investing,” said Dr. Aakre. “I am excited to continue working alongside this team in their efforts to build transformative companies that can drive real impact in patients’ lives.”

Prior to joining FLS, Dr. Aakre served as the Vice President at an FLS portfolio company, HilleVax, where he played a number of operational, business development, and program management roles. Before HilleVax, he was at Boston Consulting Group for five years, where he held multiple positions of growing responsibility to Principal, leading health care engagements across multiple functions (R&D, BD, Commercial) and therapeutic areas (oncology, vaccines, cell and gene therapy). Dr. Aakre earned his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

About Frazier Life Sciences:

Frazier Life Sciences invests globally in private and publicly traded companies that discover, develop, and commercialize innovative biopharmaceuticals. Frazier Life Sciences manages over $3.9 billion in capital, including Venture Funds focusing on company creation and private companies and the long-only Public Funds focused on small and mid-cap public companies. Since 2005, over 60 Frazier Life Sciences portfolio companies, many of which were created or seeded by FLS, have completed IPOs or M&As. The Frazier Life Sciences team consists of over 40 professionals in biopharmaceuticals, primarily located in Palo Alto, Calif. (headquarters), San Diego, Seattle, Boston, New York, and London.

For more information about Frazier Life Sciences, please visit frazierls.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Operating Professionals are employed by a subsidiary of FLS, provide advisory and consulting service to FLS and often serve in operational positions within FLS portfolio companies or search companies (“SearchCos”). Operating Professionals are permitted to receive a material equity position in a portfolio company or SearchCo, and any compensation paid to such Operating Professionals is borne directly or indirectly by the portfolio companies, SearchCos or the applicable FLS fund and will not offset any management fees.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Ailsa Dalgliesh, Ph. D.
Head of Investor Relations
ailsa@frazierls.com

PALO ALTO, Calif. – March 19, 2025 – Frazier Life Sciences (FLS), a longstanding investment firm focused on innovative therapeutics, today announced the promotion of Anna Chen, Ph.D., to Partner.

Dr. Chen joined FLS in 2018 and has played an integral role in the firm’s strategy, portfolio growth, and company creation efforts. Dr. Chen has led or co-led FLS’ investments in and currently serves on the boards of Alentis (a Series D FLS investment), Eyconis (an FLS Company Creation investment), and BlueWater Biosciences (another FLS Company Creation investment).

Dr. Chen has also played key roles in FLS investments such as Lengo Therapeutics, which was acquired by Blueprint Medicines for $250 million upfront in 2021, and SanReno Therapeutics, which Novartis acquired for an undisclosed amount in 2024. In addition, she was instrumental in FLS’ investments in Amunix Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired in 2021 by Sanofi for $1 billion upfront and up to $225 million upon achievement of certain development milestones.

“Anna has made many terrific investments, and we are excited to promote her to Partner,” said Patrick Heron, Managing Partner at FLS. “With her scientific acumen and ability to foster strong relationships with entrepreneurs, Anna has been pivotal to our team’s venture and company creation strategies.”

As Partner, Dr. Chen will continue sourcing cutting-edge technologies, structuring and negotiating complex transactions, and launching companies aimed at developing and delivering novel therapeutics.

“I am honored to join the partnership at Frazier Life Sciences and privileged to work within this exceptional team,” said Dr. Chen. “I look forward to continuing to build and support pioneering biotech companies that have the potential to bring life-changing treatments to patients.”

Prior to joining FLS, Dr. Chen was a management consultant at L.E.K. Consulting. Dr. Chen earned her Ph.D. in Systems Biology and her A.B. in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard University.

About Frazier Life Sciences:

Frazier Life Sciences invests globally in private and publicly traded companies that discover, develop, and commercialize innovative biopharmaceuticals. Frazier LifeSciences manages over $3.9 billion in capital, including Venture Funds focusing on company creation and private companies and the long-only Public Funds focused on small and mid-cap public companies. Since 2005, over 60 Frazier Life Sciences portfolio companies, many of which were created or seeded by FLS, have completed IPOs or M&As. The Frazier Life Sciences team consists of over 40 professionals in biopharmaceuticals, primarily located in Palo Alto, Calif. (headquarters), San Diego, Seattle, Boston, New York, and London.

For more information about Frazier Life Sciences, please visit frazierls.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Ailsa Dalgliesh, Ph. D.
Head of Investor Relations
ailsa@frazierls.com

PALO ALTO, Calif. – March 6, 2025 – Frazier Life Sciences (FLS), a longstanding investment firm focused on innovative therapeutics, today announced the appointment of Gerald (Jerry) Nepom, M.D., Ph.D., as Senior Advisor.

Dr. Nepom has over four decades of biomedical experience in clinical and translational immunology, with extensive knowledge spanning autoimmune diseases, allergy, and transplantation. He founded the Benaroya Research Institute (BRI), the first translational immunology institute in the U.S., where he served as Director from 1985 to 2015, leading research on T-cell function and immune regulation in diseases such as type 1 diabetes, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. From 2010 to 2023, he directed the Immune Tolerance Network (ITN), overseeing National Institutes of Health-sponsored clinical trials aimed at advancing novel immunomodulatory therapies.

“Jerry has played a pivotal role in translating immunological insights into clinical applications, and his broad experience in both academia and industry will be beneficial to our team,” said Jamie Topper, Managing Partner at FLS. “His ability to bridge scientific discovery with biotech innovation strongly aligns with our commitment to advancing potentially transformative therapies through new and innovative companies.”

In addition to his leadership at BRI and ITN, Dr. Nepom has advised numerous biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, serving on advisory boards for both early-stage startups and global pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer. He has also been a key figure in shaping national research priorities, having chaired the National Institutes of Health’s first strategic planning committee for autoimmune diseases and contributed to over 200 clinical programs.

“I have been impressed by the depth of experience and thoughtful approach at Frazier Life Sciences in working to make a meaningful impact in biotechnology,” said Dr. Nepom. “I look forward to contributing my experience in immunology and clinical development to support their mission.”

Dr. Nepom earned his A.B. from Harvard University and both his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Washington School of Medicine. He has received several accolades, including the University of Washington School of Medicine Distinguished Alumni Award and the David Rumbough Award for Scientific Excellence from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

About Frazier Life Sciences:

Frazier Life Sciences invests globally in private and publicly traded companies that discover, develop, and commercialize innovative biopharmaceuticals. Frazier Life Sciences manages over $3.9 billion in capital, including Venture Funds focusing oncompany creation and private companies and the long-only Public Funds focused on small and mid-cap public companies. Since 2005, over 60 Frazier Life Sciences portfolio companies, many of which were created or seeded by FLS, have completed IPOs or M&As. The Frazier Life Sciences team consists of over 40 professionals in biopharmaceuticals, primarily located in Palo Alto, Calif. (headquarters), San Diego, Seattle, Boston, New York and London.

For more information about Frazier Life Sciences, please visit frazierls.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Ailsa Dalgliesh, Ph. D.
Head of Investor Relations
ailsa@frazierls.com

PALO ALTO, Calif. – January 9, 2025 – Frazier Life Sciences (FLS), a longstanding investment firm focused on innovative therapeutics, today announced the appointments of Mitchell H. Gold, M.D., and Stanford L. Peng, M.D., Ph.D., as Venture Partners.

“We believe Mitch and Stanford bring exceptional leadership and experience that will elevate our ability to create and nurture breakthrough biopharmaceutical companies,” said Jamie Topper, M.D., Ph.D., Managing Partner at FLS. “Mitch’s history of building transformative companies, his relentless pursuit of scientific excellence and his proven ability to identify transformative scientific and investment opportunities make him a valuable addition to our team. Similarly, Stanford’s perspective as a physician-scientist and his deep breadth of knowledge in developing innovative therapies will strengthen our efforts to identify and advance world-class life science companies.”

Prior to joining Frazier Life Sciences, Dr. Gold most recently served as the Co-Founder, CEO, and Executive Chairman of Alpine Immune Sciences (Nasdaq: ALPN), where Frazier Life Sciences co-led the Series A financing, focused on discovering and developing innovative, protein-based immunotherapies. He led Alpine Immune Sciences from its inception to its $4.9 billion acquisition by Vertex Pharmaceuticals in May 2024. Prior to co-founding Alpine Immune Sciences, Dr. Gold was the Chairman and Founder of Alpine Biosciences, a privately held biotech company dedicated to developing the next generation of cancer and orphan disease treatments. Alpine Biosciences was sold to Cascadian Therapeutics in 2014 which was subsequently acquired by Seagen. Dr. Gold earned his M.D. from Rush Medical College in Chicago and completed his urology residency at the University of Washington Medical Center. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“I am honored to join Frazier Life Sciences, a firm I deeply respect for its long-term vision and commitment to creating transformative companies,” said Gold. “My passion has always been in building science-driven organizations that make a real difference for patients, and FLS’ approach and team offer the ideal environment to pursue this work. I look forward to collaborating with the talented group here in their work to bring forward the next generation of impactful therapies.”

Dr. Peng brings to Frazier Life Sciences a deep background in drug discovery, clinical development, and biotech leadership. Most recently, he served as President and Head of Research and Development at Alpine Immune Sciences (Nasdaq: ALPN), where he led the discovery and clinical introduction of multiple drug candidates, including povetacicept, which attracted the interest of Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Peng’s career spans leadership roles in both biotech and pharmaceutical companies, including Seagen, Roche and Stemcentrx, as well as academic appointments at institutions such as the Benaroya Research Institute and Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Peng earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in Music and Biological Sciences from Stanford University, as well as an M.D. and Ph.D. in Biology from Yale University. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and a clinical and research fellowship in rheumatology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Stanford continues to practice as a rheumatologist.

“Joining Frazier Life Sciences is an exciting opportunity to focus on what I love most—identifying promising scientific discoveries and translating them into meaningful treatments for patients,” shared Peng. “Having worked with the Frazier Life Sciences team during my time at Alpine, I have immense respect for their strategic approach and dedication to impactful innovation. I am eager to contribute to the team’s efforts in advancing novel therapies and building companies that can truly change lives.”

About Frazier Life Sciences:

Frazier Life Sciences invests globally in private and publicly traded companies that discover, develop, and commercialize innovative biopharmaceuticals. Frazier Life Sciences manages over $3.9 billion in capital, including Venture Funds focusing on company creation and private companies and the long-only Public Fund focused on small and mid-cap public companies. Since 2005, over 60 Frazier Life Sciences portfolio companies, many of which were created or seeded by FLS, have completed IPOs or M&As. The Frazier Life Sciences team consists of over 40 professionals with deep expertise in biopharmaceuticals, primarily located in Palo Alto, Calif. (headquarters), San Diego, Seattle, Boston, New York and London.

For more information about Frazier Life Sciences, please visit frazierls.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Venture Partners are employed by a subsidiary of FLS, provide advisory and consulting service to FLS and often serve in operational positions within FLS portfolio companies or search companies (“SearchCos”). Venture Partners are permitted to receive a material equity position in a portfolio company or SearchCo, and any compensation paid to such Venture Partners is borne directly or indirectly by the portfolio companies, SearchCos or the applicable FLS fund and will not offset any management fees.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Ailsa Dalgliesh, Ph. D.
Head of Investor Relations
ailsa@frazierls.com

PALO ALTO, Calif. – December 12, 2024 – Frazier Life Sciences (FLS), a longstanding investment firm focused on innovative therapeutics, today announced the appointment of James Li, M.D., as a Venture Partner.

“We are thrilled to welcome James to the team,” said Patrick Heron, Managing Partner at FLS. “We believe his deep breadth of experience in launching transformative therapies and navigating cross-border opportunities will add considerable value to our portfolio companies and investment strategies.”

Dr. Li brings over 30 years of biotechnology knowledge with a track record in company building, cross-border leadership and strategic investing. Most recently, as Co-founder and CEO of JW Therapeutics, he transformed the company into a fully integrated, commercial-stage cell therapy leader, launching China’s first domestically developed CAR-T therapy, raising over $520 million which includes a successful IPO in 2020 on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Prior to JW Therapeutics, Dr. Li held key leadership roles at Amgen, where he led the company’s expansion into Greater China, and at Merck, where he advanced from bench scientist to leadership roles in clinical research, regulatory affairs, product development and franchise management across the U.S. and Asia Pacific. Dr. Li also previously served as Partner in the life sciences practice at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, where he led investments in pandemic preparedness and China-focused health ventures, guiding early and growth-stage companies, including one that went public in 2010.

“I am honored to join a firm with such a tenured history in life sciences innovation,” shared Dr. Li. “FLS’ mission aligns perfectly with my drive to help build impactful companies that address significant unmet medical needs, and I look forward to collaborating with the FLS team to work towards creating the next wave of transformative biotech companies.”

Dr. Li received his M.D. from Shanghai Medical University and his M.S. in Microbiology from the University of Montana.

About Frazier Life Sciences:

Frazier Life Sciences invests globally in private and publicly traded companies that discover, develop, and commercialize innovative biopharmaceuticals. Frazier Life Sciences manages over $3.9 billion in capital, including Venture Funds focusing on company creation and private companies and the long-only Public Fund focused on small and mid-cap public companies. Since 2005, over 60 Frazier Life Sciences portfolio companies, many of which were created or seeded by FLS, have completed IPOs or M&As. The Frazier Life Sciences team consists of over 40 professionals with deep expertise in biopharmaceuticals, primarily located in Palo Alto, Calif. (headquarters), San Diego, Seattle, Boston, New York and London.

For more information about Frazier Life Sciences, please visit frazierls.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Venture Partners are employed by a subsidiary of FLS, provide advisory and consulting service to FLS and often serve in operational positions within FLS portfolio companies or search companies (“SearchCos”). Venture Partners are permitted to receive a material equity position in a portfolio company or SearchCo, and any compensation paid to such Venture Partners is borne directly or indirectly by the portfolio companies, SearchCos or the applicable FLS fund and will not offset any management fees.