LONDON & MELBOURNE, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leading healthcare investment specialist BioScience Managers Limited (BioScience Managers), has announced the expansion of its team with the addition of three new directors with broad sector and geographic experience - Dr Michael Perry as a Director, Dennis Purcell as a Director and Senior Expert Advisor, and Nicole Vitullo as an Independent Director.
Dr Michael (Mike) Perry was Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer (Business Development and Licensing) for Novartis AG, having previously been Chief Scientific Officer of their Cell & Gene Therapy Unit and Global Head of Cellular Therapy. Mike also previously served as a Venture Partner with Bay City Capital in San Francisco. In addition to his Board role with BioScience Managers, Dr Perry has taken on the helm as CEO of portfolio company, Avita Medical (ASX: AVH; OTCQX: AVMXY).
Dennis Purcell is a founder and former Senior Managing Partner of Aisling Capital and remains a Senior Adviser to the Company. Dennis sits on numerous boards and has been honoured in the Biotech Hall of Fame by Genetic Engineering News and named on the Biotechnology All-Stars list by Forbes.
Nicole Vitullo is a Partner with life sciences venture capital group Domain Associates LLC. Nicole has extensive experience in public and private investment, and also liquidation strategies for public companies.
Jeremy Curnock Cook, Managing Director of BioScience Managers, said: “Michael, Dennis and Nicole bring a wealth of scientific, business and investment experience from a variety of senior roles, including as board members and executives with major pharmaceutical and bioscience companies.
“All have a global vision and detailed knowledge of what is required for a biomedical device, drug or innovation to be taken from discovery to successful commercialisation.
“Our strategy is to deliver superior returns to our investors through our commitment to supporting our investee companies through development and growth to a level where they have achieved a significant increase in value. Our portfolio companies will benefit from the additional experience and international expertise in our senior team.”
Dr Michael Perry, Dennis Purcell and Nicole Vitullo join existing Board members Jeremy Curnock Cook, Matt McNamara and Alan Cainey.
Recently, to support its joint venture with Downing in the UK, BioScience Managers announced the appointment of London-based Elizabeth Klein, an award-winning and highly-rated senior research analyst with over 15 years life sciences sector experience.
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Notes to Editors
About BioScience Managers: www.biosciencemanagers.com
BioScience Managers Pty Ltd is a leading life sciences investment firm, headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. Established in 2000, BioScience Managers has a global, multi-disciplinary team, bringing an international perspective together with the track record, networks and expertise required to convert that perspective into informed, high return investment decisions.
The firm operates a high value-add model, providing assistance and support to portfolio companies via its global team and international network of independent industry advisors. With combined experience of over 170 investments, more than 40 IPO’s/reversals in Europe, the USA and Australia, and a diverse skillset specific to the bio-based industries, BioScience Managers aims to provide investee companies with significant value-add over and above capital invested.
Current funds are:
- Asia Pacific Healthcare Fund II
- BioScience Managers Ventures I
- BioScience Managers Translation Fund I
- Downing FOUR VCT plc – Healthcare Share Class
About the New Board Members
Dr Michael Perry was senior vice president and Chief Scientific Officer (Business licensing and development) for Novartis Pharmaceuticals and was previously that company’s Chief Scientific Officer (Cell & Gene Therapy) and Global Head of Cellular Therapy. He has more than 25 years of experience with large pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology research and development, venture capital, licensing and as a CEO and senior executive. His development and regulatory experience covers drugs, biologics and regenerative medicines including cell therapies, gene therapies, RNAi and nanomedicines. Mike also previously served as a venture partner with Bay City Capital in San Francisco. He originally qualified as a Veterinary surgeon, has a PhD in Biomedical Science and Pharmacology and management qualifications from Harvard.
Dennis J. Purcell is a founder and senior advisor at Aisling Capital. During his tenure, Dennis has been directly involved with over two hundred completed transactions and supervised over $15 billion of financing and advisory assignments in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical products industries. Dennis is a frequent commentator on the industry and has been honored in various publications as a top contributor to the Life Sciences industry. He sits on numerous private and public healthcare company boards, such as Real Endpoints and Summus Global. He is actively involved with many of the industry’s professional organizations, such as BIO, the Life Sciences Foundation, the NYC Investment Fund and NYU's office of Therapeutics Alliance. He is Executive Chairman of Poliwogg Holdings, a company devising new financed products for the healthcare industry. Dennis received his M.B.A. from Harvard University and his B.S. in Accounting from the University of Delaware.
Nicole Vitullo is a partner with life sciences venture capital group Domain Associates LLC. Nicole has extensive experience in public and private investment and also liquidation and distribution strategies for public companies. Nicole continues to sit on numerous life science public company boards and prior to Domain she was a senior vice president at Rothschild Asset Management and held senior roles at Cephalon and Eastman Kodak. She has a BA in mathematics and a MBA in finance from the University of Rochester.
