NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Petrichor Healthcare Capital Management (“Petrichor”), a healthcare investment firm, today announced the appointment of Raymond F. Schinazi, PhD, DSc (Hon) to its Advisory Board.
Dr. Schinazi is widely considered the most prolific antiviral drug developer of all time, responsible for the discovery and/or development of five drugs used to treat HIV, HBV and HCV. Dr. Schinazi is currently the Frances Winship Professor of Pediatrics, Director of the Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, and Co-Director of the HIV Cure Scientific Working Group within the NIH-sponsored Emory University Center for AIDS Research. His laboratory develops approaches to treat infections caused by HIV, HBV, HCV, herpes, influenza, Zika, West Nile, chikungunya and dengue virus, among others. Insights from 40 years of research at Emory led Dr. Schinazi to found multiple successful biotechnology companies, including Pharmasset, Inc. (VRUS; acquired by Gilead for $11.4 billion in 2012), Idenix Pharmaceuticals (IDIX; acquired by Merck for $3.9 billion in 2014) and Triangle Pharmaceuticals (VIRS; acquired by Gilead for $464 million in 2003). In 2014, Dr. Schinazi also led the merger of his namesake RFS Pharma with Cocrystal Pharma (COCP), where he now serves as Chairman of the Board.
In addition to his work at Emory University, Dr. Schinazi spent 35 years at the Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs, most recently in the role of Senior Research Career Scientist for which he received the 2015 William S. Middleton Award, the highest honor of the Veterans Affairs Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development Service. He also serves as Governing Trustee for the Foundation of AIDS Research (amfAR), The International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) and on the Board of the Global Virus Network (GVN). In addition to his role as Chairman of the Board of Cocrystal Pharma, Dr. Schinazi is Director of Brace Pharmaceuticals, Inc., non-executive Director of Gliknik Inc., and non-executive Director of reViral Ltd. Since receiving his BSc (1972) and PhD (1976) in chemistry from the University of Bath in England, Dr. Schinazi has authored more than 500 peer-reviewed papers and seven books and holds over 100 issued U.S. patents and over 120 non-U.S. national stage patents and patent applications, which have resulted in 20 New Drug Applications.
Petrichor Founder and Managing Partner Tadd S. Wessel welcomed Dr. Schinazi to the team, saying, “We are honored to have Ray join our Advisory Board. In addition to being one of the most accomplished scientists and entrepreneurs globally, Dr. Schinazi’s breakthrough antiviral therapies have helped nearly 200 million people suffering from chronic infection worldwide. We are delighted to welcome him to the Petrichor platform.”
“I have known Tadd since my early days as an entrepreneur scientist and am excited to support and build out the Petrichor platform,” Dr. Schinazi said. “I am impressed with the Petrichor team and Advisory Board members and look forward to helping them identify and support the next generation of breakthrough companies.”
Dr. Schinazi joins Mr. Peter Greenleaf, a longtime biopharmaceutical industry veteran and Chairman of Cerecor, Inc., as well as Sir Bruce Keogh, Former National Medical Director for NHS England, on Petrichor’s Advisory Board. The Board assists Petrichor’s investment team in their identification, diligence, and support of investment opportunities, including serving on the board of directors of portfolio companies.
About Petrichor Healthcare Capital Management
Petrichor Healthcare Capital Management partners with world-class healthcare managers and businesses to provide customized investment structures and support. The Petrichor team of investment professionals comes from highly-regarded financial institutions including OrbiMed and Fortress Investment Group. Collectively, the team has completed over 75 investments representing more than $5 billion in invested capital and has held over 25 board seats. Petrichor maintains a deep in-house understanding of healthcare products and services, including scientific, technical, and commercial expertise. This healthcare expertise, together with a breadth of experience investing across sectors, geographies, and capital structures, provides a strong competitive advantage.
For more information on Petrichor, please see www.petrichorcap.com or contact the firm at info@petrichorcap.com.
