VentiRx Pharmaceuticals

Apr 22, 2020

Frazier Healthcare Partners Adds Experienced Pharmaceutical Executive As Venture Partner on Life Sciences Team MENLO PARK, Calif., April 21, 2020-- Frazier Healthcare Partners announced Robert Hershberg, M.D., Ph.D. has rejoined the Life Sciences team as a Venture Partner. He has over 25 years of experience as a physician, scientist, and entrepreneur. Dr. Hershberg has been working with Frazier and its portfolio companies as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Senior Advisor, and executive for 14 years. He was formerly President and Chief Executive Officer of VentiRx Pharmaceuticals, a Frazier-founded company developing a small molecule therapeutic to activate the immune system against solid tumors. Dr. Hershberg co-founded VentiRx while an entrepreneur-in-residence at Frazier and led the company through its transformational partnership with Celgene. He joined Celgene in 2014 to lead their efforts in Immuno-Oncology, was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer in 2016, and was subsequently Executive Vice President and Head of Business Development & Global Alliances and served as a member of the Executive Committee until the acquisition of Celgene by Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2019. Prior to VentiRx, Dr. Hershberg served as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Dendreon Corporation and led clinical development of Provenge, which was approved for metastatic prostate cancer. Before Dendreon, he was Vice President of Medical Genetics at Corixa, a Frazier portfolio company which was acquired by GlaxoSmithKline. Earlier, Dr. Hershberg was an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and an Associate Physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He completed his undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of California, Los Angeles and received his Ph.D. at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. “We are extremely excited to have Rob rejoin us as a Venture Partner,” said Patrick Heron, Managing Partner on the Frazier Life Sciences team. “We believe his extensive experience and network as both a physician/scientist and a pharmaceutical executive give him valuable insights and connections that will be instrumental in helping us continue to build new, innovative companies.” Frazier Venture Partners identify, create, and operate new Frazier companies. Company creation has been a core part of the Frazier Life Sciences strategy since 2005. The Frazier Life Sciences team has created or seeded 23 companies since 2005, including Arcutis Biotherapeutics (IPO: ARQT), Mavupharma (acquired by AbbVie), and Phathom Pharmaceuticals (IPO: PHAT). About Frazier Healthcare Partners Founded in 1991, Frazier Healthcare Partners is a leading provider of growth and venture capital to healthcare companies. With nearly $4.8 billion total capital raised, Frazier has invested in over 200 companies, with investment types ranging from company creation and venture capital to buyouts of profitable lower-middle market companies. The firm’s Growth Buyout team invests in healthcare and pharmaceutical services, medical products and related sectors. The Life Sciences team invests in therapeutics and related areas that are addressing unmet medical needs through innovation. Frazier has offices in Seattle, WA, and Menlo Park, CA, and invests broadly across the U.S., Canada and Europe. For more information about Frazier Healthcare Partners, visit the company's website at http://www.frazierhealthcare.com. Contact: