Who Will Survive the Biotech VC Downturn? The Young and the Proven

Mike Carusi
General Partner, Lightstone Ventures
Age: 47
Ardian (acquired by Medtronic)
Plexxikon (acquired by Daiichi Sankyo)
TranS1 (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TSON]])

Brian Chee
General Partner, Polaris Venture Partners
Age: 44
Ascend Health (acquired by Universal Health Services)
Asthmatx (acquired by Boston Scientific)
Free & Clear (acquired by Inverness Medical Innovations)

Doug Cole
General Partner, Flagship Ventures
Age: 52
AVEO Oncology (NASDA: [[ticker:AVEO]])
Morphotek (acquired by Eisai Pharmaceuticals)
CombinatoRx, now Zalius (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ZLCS]])

Alan Crane
General Partner, Polaris Venture Partners
Age: 48
Momenta Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MNTA]])
Sirtris Pharmaceuticals (acquired by GlaxoSmithKline)
Adnexus Therapeutics (acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb)

Anupam Dalal
[Added:2:50 pm ET]
Partner, Kearny Venture Partners
Age: 41
CGI Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Gilead Sciences)
Adnexus Therapeutics (acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb)
NextWave Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer)

Francesco De Rubertis
Partner, Index Ventures
Age: 42
Genmab (COPENHAGEN: [[ticker:GEN]])
PanGenetics (acquired by Abbott Laboratories)
ParAllele Biosciences (acquired by Affymetrix)

Ryan Drant
General Partner, New Enterprise Associates
Age: 41
Esprit Pharma (acquired by Allergan)
ESP Pharma (acquired by PDL Biopharma)
FoxHollow Technologies (acquired by ev3)
Provation Medical (acquired by Wolters Kluwer)
Proxima Therapeutics (acquired by Cytyc)
Xcel Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Valeant Pharmaceuticals)

Bryant Fong [Added:4:40 pm ET]
Managing director, Burrill Venture Capital
Age:39
Ferrokin Biosciences (acquired by Shire)
Pharmasset (acquired by Gilead Sciences)
Corcept Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CORT]])
Novadaq Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:NVDQ]])
OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:OGXI]])

Nick Galakatos
Co-founder and managing director, Clarus Ventures
Age: 54
AVEO Oncology (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AVEO]])
Caliper Life Sciences (acquired by PerkinElmer)
Taligen Therapeutics (acquired by Alexion)
Syrrx (acquired by Takeda Pharmaceuticals)
Link Medicine (acquired by AstraZeneca)
Affymax (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AFFY]])
Hypnion (acquired by Eli Lilly)

Carl Gordon [Added: 11:15 am]
Co-founder and General Partner, OrbiMed Advisors
Age: 47
Abgenix (acquired by Amgen)
Agensys (acquired by Astellas)
Amarin (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMRN]])
Arius Research (acquired by Roche)
Vivus (NASDAQ: [[ticker:VVUS]])
Puma Biotechnology (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PBYI]])

James Healy [Updated: 11:30 am PT, 10/26/12 to include Prestwick and Preglim]
General Partner, Sofinnova Ventures
Age: 47
Amarin (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AMRN]])
Anthera Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ANTH]])
Hyperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HPTX]])
Durata Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DRTX]])
InterMune (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ITMN]])
Tesaro (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TSRO]])
Movetis (acquired by Shire)
CoTherix (acquired by Actelion)
Cellective Therapeutics (acquired by MedImmune)
Prestwick Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Biovail)
Preglem (acquired by Richter)

Patrick Heron
General Partner, Frazier Healthcare Ventures
Age: 43
Cerexa (acquired by Forest Laboratories)
Calixa (acquired by Cubist Pharmaceuticals)
Xenoport (NASDAQ: [[ticker:XNPT])
Trubion Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Emergent BioSolutions)
Marcadia (acquired by Roche)
MedPointe (acquired by Meda)

Wende Hutton
General Partner, Canaan Partners
Age: 52
BiPar Sciences (acquired by Sanofi)
Heartstream (acquired by Hewlett-Packard)
Calibra Medical (acquired by Johnson & Johnson)
SenoRx (acquired by C.R. Bard)

Dan Janney
Managing director, Alta Partners
Age: 46
Cellective Therapeutics (acquired by MedImmune)
CoTherix (acquired by Actelion)
Dynavax Technologies (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DVAX]])
Ilex Oncology (acquired by Genzyme)
InterMune (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ITMN]])
ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Cephalon)

Alison Kiley
Director, Alta Partners
Age: 40
Esperion Therapeutics (acquired by Pfizer)
Aegerion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AEGR]])
Insulet (NASDAQ: [[ticker:PODD]])

Nina Kjellson
General Partner, InterWest Partners
Age: 37
Fluidigm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FLDM]])
Novacardia (acquired by Merck)
Trius Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TSRX]])
Tesaro (NASDAQ: [[ticker:TSRO]])
Aspreva (acquired by Galenica Group)

Garheng Kong [Updated: 1:15 pm PT, 10/24/12]
General Partner, Sofinnova Ventures
Age: 37
Cempra (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CEMP]])
Cellective Therapeutics (acquired by MedImmune)
Serenex (acquired by Pfizer)
Novamin Technologies (acquired by GlaxoSmithKline)
Alimera Sciences (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ALIM]])
Calibra Medical (acquired by Johnson & Johnson)

Thong Le
Managing director, WRF Capital
Age: 36
Corus Pharma (acquired by Gilead Sciences)
Hyperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:HPTX]])
Pathway Medical Technologies (acquired by Bayer)
Halosource (public on the London Stock Exchange)

Heath Lukatch [Added:10:25 am PT 10/31/12]
Partner, Novo Ventures
Age: 45
Amira Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb)
FoldRx Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer)
Elevation Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Sunovion Pharmaceuticals)
Synosia (acquired by BioTie)
InSound Medical (acquired by Sonova)
Fluidigm (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FLDM]])
Dynavax (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DVAX]])
AlgoRx Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:AGRX]])
Favrille (NASDAQ: [[ticker:FVRL]])

Dayton Misfeldt
[Updated:2:30 pm ET to include NextWave acquisition]
Investment Partner, Bay City Capital
Age: 38
Pharmion (acquired by Celgene)
MAP Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MAPP]])
Sunesis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: [[ticker:SNSS]])
Oculex Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Allergan)
NextWave Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer)

Bob More
General partner, Frazier Healthcare Ventures
Age: 45
Clovis Oncology (NASDAQ: [[ticker:CLVS]])
NovaCardia (acquired by Merck)
Esprit Pharma (acquired by Allergan)
Proxima Therapeutics (acquired by Cytyc)
IntraLase (acquired by Advanced Medical Optics)
ESP Pharma (acquired by PDL Biopharma)
Oceana Therapeutics (acquired by Salix Pharmaceuticals)

Author: Luke Timmerman

Luke is an award-winning journalist specializing in life sciences. He has served as national biotechnology editor for Xconomy and national biotechnology reporter for Bloomberg News. Luke got started covering life sciences at The Seattle Times, where he was the lead reporter on an investigation of doctors who leaked confidential information about clinical trials to investors. The story won the Scripps Howard National Journalism Award and several other national prizes. Luke holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and during the 2005-2006 academic year, he was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT.