Adagene (Nasdaq: ADAG) is an antibody discovery and engineering company with proprietary Smart Antibody Technology, which increases success rates, substantially accelerates time to market, and reduces the costs associated with developing a therapeutic antibody.
Sector: Life Sciences
Aclaris Therapeutics
Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACRS) is a dermatologist-led biopharmaceutical company committed to identifying, developing and commercializing innovative therapies to address significant unmet needs in aesthetic and medical dermatology and immunodermatology.
Acacia Pharma
Acacia Pharma (EURONEXT: ACPH) is a commercially driven hospital pharmaceutical group focused on the development and commercialisation of new nausea and vomiting treatments for surgical and cancer patients. Acacia developed BARHEMSYS to marketing approval and was acquired by Eagle Pharmaceuticals in 2022.
Nihal Sinha, MB BChir
Nihal Sinha is a Partner at F-Prime based in the London office and focuses primarily on biotech and life sciences in Europe and the US.
At F-Prime, Nihal was a member of the founding team of Orchard Therapeutics and an investor in Ensoma, Curie Bio, Charm Therapeutics, Aviado Bio, and T-Therapeutics. Prior to joining F-Prime in 2013, he worked as a strategy consultant at BCG and as an academic physician at Oxford University and UCL Hospitals.
Nihal holds a MB BChir with distinction from the University of Cambridge and is a Member of the Royal College of Physicians.
Ketan Patel, MD
Ketan Patel is a Managing Partner with F-Prime and has worked in the healthcare sector as an investor, consultant, and physician. Prior to joining F-Prime in 2007, Dr. Patel advised biopharmaceutical and medical device companies on brand strategy, clinical development plans, and business development activities in the corporate consulting division of Leerink Swann & Company. Dr. Patel served as a physician at the VA Boston Healthcare System and at Weill Cornell Medical Center-New York Presbyterian Hospital and Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center where he completed his internal medicine training.
Dr. Patel focuses on investing in therapeutics and medical device companies and has served on the Board of Directors of ABK Biomedical, Aclaris Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ACRS), Avalyn Pharma, Avivomed, Bicara Therapeutics (NASDAQ: BCAX), Caplin Steriles, Comanche Biopharma, Enzene Biosciences, Eywa Pharma, Ivenix (acquired by Fresenius Kabi), Laurus Labs (NSE:LAURUSLABS), Medwell Ventures, Menlo Therapeutics (NASDAQ:MNLO), NextWave Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer), NFlection Therapeutics, Pediatrix Therapeutics, Rallybio (NASDAQ:RLYB), and Vicept Therapeutics (acquired by Allergan).
Dr. Patel is a graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine, where he received both his MD and MBA as part of that institution’s Healthcare Management Program and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. He completed his undergraduate studies in biology and economics with highest honors at Rutgers University.
Alex Pasteur, PhD
Alex Pasteur joined F-Prime in 2012 and is a Partner based in London. Alex focuses on investments in therapeutics and the convergence of life sciences with data science. Alex serves on the boards of ARTBIO, Nodthera, Tenpoint Therapeutics, Pulmocide, Peptone, Oviva, Genomics Ltd, Owkin and Shift Bioscience. He is an observer on the board of Castor.
Alex previously served on the boards of Orchard Therapeutics (acquired by Kyowa Kirin), Acacia Pharma (acquired by Eagle Pharmaceuticals), Arvelle Therapeutics (acquired by Angelini Pharma) and as observer for Adaptimmune Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ADAP).
Alex has worked in healthcare investing since 2001. Prior to joining F-Prime, Alex worked at MVM Life Science Partners LLP in the USA and Europe. Alex holds a M.A. in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University and a PhD in Chemistry from Cambridge University.
Thomas Beck, MD
In Loving Memory of Thomas Russell Beck, MD
August 3, 1949 – May 25, 2020
It is with a profound and deep sense of sadness that F-Prime says goodbye to Executive Partner Tom Beck. Tom was an essential and beloved friend and colleague to us all. We will greatly miss Tom’s expertise, wisdom, rolled-up-sleeves hands-on hard work, avuncular guidance, generosity, sense of humor and indefatigable bon homie that he maintained to the very end. Through his work, Tom made a big impact on the biotechnology industry, and an even bigger impact on all of us.
Robert Weisskoff, PhD
Robert Weisskoff, Senior Partner, joined F-Prime in 2004. Robert has worked extensively in both academia and the bioscience industry for thirty years. Prior to F-Prime, he held various senior roles in R&D and Business Development at both pharmaceutical and medical device companies. In his academic career, Dr. Weisskoff was Associate Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School, on the faculty of the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences Technology (HST) Program, and performed research at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was Associate Director of the MGH-NMR Center. There he worked at the intersection of basic research, medical technology development, and clinical research in a variety of areas. Robert is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers, and an inventor on 6 US patents.
Robert holds a PhD in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. He received his A.B. degree in Physics from Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.
Robert serves on the Board of Directors of Adela, Countable Labs, Plasmagen Biosciences, RareCyte, Shinobi Therapeutics, and Zenflow, Inc. He has previously served on the boards of Accuri Cytometers (acquired by Becton Dickinson), Caribou Biosciences (NASDAQ: CRBU), Farapulse (acquired by Boston Scientific), Ikano Therapeutics (acquired by UCB), Laurus Labs (NSE: LAURUSLABS), Structure Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GPCR), Surface Oncology (NASDAQ: SURF), Tetraphase (NASDAQ: TTPH), Transave (NASDAQ: INSM), Topaz (acquired by Sanofi Pasteur), ViewRay (NASDAQ: VRAY) and Xilio Therapeutics (NASDAQ: XLO).
Stephen Knight, MD
Stephen Knight joined F-Prime in 2003 where he serves as President and Senior Managing Partner. He has worked in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries for over 30 years and invests broadly across healthcare. Steve serves on the Board of Directors of Atalanta Therapeutics, Leyden Labs, Paradigm, Quantum Circuits, Inc. (QCI), Skyline Therapeutics, and Xaira Therapeutics. Steve previously served on the boards of several private and public health care companies including Beam Therapeutics (NASDAQ: BEAM), Blueprint Medicines (NASDAQ: BPMC), Denali Therapeutics (NASDAQ: DNLI), FoldRx Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer), Innovent Biologics (1801.HK), Iora Health (acquired by One Medical), Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: IRWD), NextWave Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer), Prime Medicine (NASDAQ: PRME), Respivert, Ltd (acquired by J&J), Sana Biotechnology (NASDAQ: SANA), and Semma Therapeutics (acquired by Vertex).
Prior to joining F-Prime, Steve held various senior management roles in private and public biotechnology and consulting companies. He also was a researcher at AT&T Bell Laboratories, the National Institutes of Health, and Yale University. He holds an MD from the Yale University School of Medicine, an MBA. from the Yale School of Organization and Management and received a BS in biology from Columbia University, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.