Category: Frazier News

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. 

PALO ALTO, Calif. – November 1, 2024 – Frazier Life Sciences (FLS), a longstanding investment firm investing in innovative biopharmaceuticals, today announced the addition of industry veterans John Smither and Jim Williams, MBA, as Senior Advisors.

“John and Jim are seasoned veterans in the field, and each brings a differentiated skill set that will enable us to strengthen our execution across the private and public investment strategies of the firm,” said Patrick Heron, Managing Partner at FLS.

John has over 25 years of financial experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. Before joining FLS, John served as the Chief Financial Officer of Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc., where he led the company’s successful initial public offering and four follow-on financings. Prior to Arcutis, Smither served as the Chief Financial Officer at Sienna Biopharmaceutics, Kite Pharma, a Gilead Company, Unity Biotechnology and Kythera Biopharmaceuticals. John held several financial positions of increasing responsibility, including Vice President of Finance and Administration for Amgen’s European operations in 28 countries, and served as Executive Director of Corporate Accounting. John is currently on the Boards of NewAmsterdam Pharma (Nasdaq: NAMS) and Genlux Corporation (Nasdaq: GNLX).

“The FLS team has created and supported many successful life sciences companies,” said John. “I am eager to join this team and help make a meaningful impact across the FLS portfolio to continue bringing important innovations to patients in need.”

Jim has over 35 years of investment strategy expertise. Prior to joining FLS, he was the first Chief Investment Officer for the J. Paul Getty Trust in Los Angeles which provides funding for Getty’s museums, conservation projects, library and grant program, and a staff of over 1,500 employees focused on the visual arts.  Before that, Jim was President of Harbor Capital Advisors and Harbor’s family of mutual funds.  Jim serves on the Boards of Trustees for Ariel mutual funds and SEI mutual funds. He sits on the Board of the Toigo Foundation, which promotes opportunities for minorities in the financial services industry. 

“I appreciate the commitment FLS has made over the years to deliver novel therapeutics with tangible effects on human health worldwide,” said Jim. “I look forward to contributing to the team’s strategy of accelerating the long-term growth and success of promising biotech companies.”

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.

Simpson has helped build 11 companies that have been acquired or gone public, most recently serving as CEO of Icosavax

PALO ALTO, Calif. September 19, 2024 – Frazier Life Sciences (FLS), a longstanding investment firm investing in innovative biopharmaceuticals, today announced the addition of industry veteran Adam Simpson as Venture Partner in its Company Creation team.

Over the last 25 years, Simpson has served as a co-founder, executive and/or board member of 11 life sciences companies that have either been acquired or gone public. His broad experience from these roles focuses on team building, advancing novel technologies through clinical proof-of-concept and leading significant fundraising, partnerships and acquisitions. He will leverage his financial, operational and emerging company knowledge to support new company innovation and portfolio company growth at FLS. Simpson will be based in Frazier Life Sciences’ San Diego office.

“Adam has a strong track record of successfully building companies that advance technologies through proof of concept and achieve meaningful exits,” said Patrick Heron, Managing Partner at FLS. “We look forward to having his strong biopharmaceutical operational and business development experience on our team as we continue to develop new and innovative companies.”

Simpson most recently served as Co-Founder, CEO and Board Member at Icosavax (Nasdaq: ICVX) through its IPO and subsequent acquisition by AstraZeneca. He built a team that leveraged a virus-like particle platform to advance multiple product candidates into the clinic for respiratory diseases, including an RSV/hMPV combination vaccine through Phase 3 readiness. Earlier in his career, Simpson was CEO and served on the board of PvP Biologics, where he advanced an oral enzyme to treat celiac disease from preclinical candidate into the clinic and led the company’s acquisition by Takeda. He also served as Co-Founder and CBO of Meritage Pharma until its staged sale to Shire, which led to the first FDA-approved oral treatment for eosinophilic esophagitis. Simpson began his career as an attorney at Latham & Watkins LLP, focusing on life sciences transactions.

“Joining the team at Frazier Life Sciences gives me the opportunity to bring my years of operational and business development experience to support the creation and growth of multiple new companies on the West Coast,” said Simpson. “I’m excited to work together with the team at Frazier Life Sciences to help our portfolio companies have the necessary team, resources and foundation from the start.”

“With the addition of Adam to the team, we are excited to continue our growth in San Diego,” said Dan Estes, General Partner at FLS. “We look forward to working with Adam to create and grow potentially world class biopharmaceutical companies, bringing novel medicines to patients.”

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 a public long-only 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 Frazier, 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.

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. January 4, 2024 – Frazier Life Sciences (FLS), a longstanding venture capital firm investing in innovative biopharmaceuticals, proudly welcomes Lin Mu, M.D., MBA as a senior associate based in the Palo Alto office to its team of investment professionals. Lin’s multidisciplinary experience spans clinical research, therapeutic commercialization, and corporate strategy. These valuable skills position him as a strong addition to FLS, enhancing the firm’s capability to continue growing its venture investing.

“We believe Lin’s background is ideally suited for our mission at Frazier Life Sciences. We also believe his extensive experience in management consulting, coupled with a broad foundation in clinical medicine and market development, uniquely positions him to contribute to our investment process,” said Patrick Heron, managing partner at FLS. “Lin will play an important role in supporting our continued efforts to grow and evolve the Frazier Life Sciences’ investment strategies.”

Prior to joining Frazier, Lin was a management consultant with Boston Consulting Group’s healthcare practice, where he advised biopharmaceutical clients on development and commercialization strategies. Previously, Lin was a clinical researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where he supported clinical trial operations across therapeutic areas. His work has been published in top medical journals, including “The Lancet,” and is widely cited in epidemiology and outcomes research.

Lin received his M.D. from Yale University, MBA from University of Cambridge, and B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Economics from Denison University.

“I am thrilled to be part of Frazier Life Sciences. Their ongoing approach of supporting talent and fostering growth made FLS an ideal team for me to join,” Lin added. “I am eager to contribute to the exciting work that lies ahead, leveraging our collective experience and network to help biotech companies reach meaningful milestones.”

“Lin’s belief in the power of biomedical innovation and his commitment to biotech investing align with the Frazier Life Sciences investment strategies,” said Anna Chen, Ph.D., principal at FLS. “I look forward to working with Lin as we connect with the broader biotech community at the upcoming 42^nd Annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference.”

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’ funds comprise over $3.3 billion in capital raised, including venture funds focusing on company creation and private companies, and a 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 Frazier, have completed IPOs or M&As. The Frazier Life Sciences team consists of over 40 professionals with deep expertise in biopharmaceuticals, primarily located in Menlo Park, Calif. (headquarters), San Diego, Seattle, Boston, New York and London.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Ailsa Dalgliesh, Ph.D.
Head of Investor Relations
ailsa@frazierls.com

For more information about Frazier Life Sciences, please visit frazierls.com.

Frazier Life Sciences (FLS), a longstanding venture capital firm investing in innovative biopharmaceuticals, is pleased to announce the appointment of Lauren Mifflin, Ph.D., as vice president of company creation. Lauren brings over 12 years of experience in building and growing life sciences and healthcare companies, making her a valuable addition to the FLS team. Based in Boston, Lauren will be implementing FLS’ methodical approach to company creation, characterized by an asset-centric portfolio strategy derived from over two decades worth of institutional knowledge.

“We are excited to welcome Lauren to Frazier Life Sciences,” commented Dan Estes, Ph.D., general partner at FLS. “Company creation is a core component of our venture investment strategy, and Lauren will further enhance our capabilities to potentially create world-class biopharmaceutical companies, particularly in the area of biologics.”

Prior to joining FLS, Lauren was a venture partner at 82VS, the venture studio of Alloy Therapeutics. She helped to build biologics companies leveraging Alloy’s discovery capabilities, including co-founding a company creating T-cell receptor mimic (TCRm) therapeutics for solid tumor indications.

Before her time at 82VS, Lauren was a fellow and 4:59 operating associate at 5AM Ventures, focusing on evaluating investment opportunities and building new life sciences companies. In this capacity, Lauren worked with the founding team of Entrada Therapeutics and was a member of the founding team of Nido Biosciences, spanning strategy, operations and scientific discovery roles. Early in her career, Lauren was a health tech investor at Jump Capital and management consultant at Monitor Group/Monitor Deloitte. With a proven track record in venture creation and a passion for integrating business and science, Lauren is well-positioned to contribute significantly to FLS’ ongoing success.

“Amidst challenging market cycles, I believe Frazier Life Sciences has solidified its position as a key player investing strategically across preclinical science and company creation,” said Lauren Mifflin, Ph.D., vice president at FLS. “It is a true privilege to join a team celebrated for its deep commitment to scientific rigor and I look forward to leveraging my background to help advance novel life science companies focused on patients’ unmet needs.”

“Lauren’s track record in company formation, particularly within the dynamic Boston biotech ecosystem, positions her as an important asset for us to continue to build out the Frazier Life Sciences portfolio on the East Coast,” added Joe Cabral, vice president at FLS. “We look forward to collaborating with Lauren to identify unique opportunities that are consistent with our investment philosophy and offer the potential for transformative patient impact.”

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’ funds comprise over $3.3 billion in capital raised, including venture funds focusing on company creation and private companies, and a 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 Frazier, have completed IPOs or M&As. The Frazier Life Sciences team consists of over 40 professionals with deep expertise in biopharmaceuticals, primarily located in Menlo Park, Calif. (headquarters), San Diego, Seattle, Boston, New York and London.

Venture Partners were not compensated for the statements regarding their business relationship with Frazier Life Sciences. Such persons will receive ordinary course compensation as part of their company creation efforts and hold a material equity position in the search company associated with them. Such search company is controlled and funded by a venture fund associated with Frazier Life Sciences. Accordingly, there are certain conflicts of interest relating to such Venture Partners because they are employed by a Frazier Life Sciences subsidiary and receive compensation and benefits in connection with such employment that are ultimately paid by the search company.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Ailsa Dalgliesh, Ph.D.
Head of Investor Relations
ailsa@frazierls.com

For more information about Frazier Life Sciences, please visit frazierls.com.