NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RTW Investments, LP (RTW), a global, full life-cycle investment firm focused on identifying transformational and disruptive innovations across the biopharmaceutical and medical technologies sectors, today announced that John Maraganore, Ph.D. has joined the firm as executive partner and that Peter Fong, Ph.D. has been promoted to the position of partner and head of company creation.
“I am thrilled to announce these appointments. John is a visionary business leader who shares our passion for bringing life-saving innovations to patients with high-burden diseases. We have a long-standing relationship starting with our early investment in John and his team at Alnylam. His ability to identify great science and develop a world-class management team fits perfectly with what we’re building here at RTW,” said Roderick Wong, M.D., managing partner and chief investment officer. “The addition of Peter to our firm’s partnership is a recognition of his tremendous impact on the future of RTW and our company creation efforts. Peter’s leadership has been instrumental as we move to the next stage in RTW’s evolution.”
Dr. Maraganore is the former founding CEO of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, where he pioneered the new modality of RNAi therapeutics, building and leading a team for almost 20 years advancing the science to bring medicines to patients around the world. As an executive partner at RTW, he will help bolster the firm’s expertise in next generation of technologies and treatment modalities.
“I’ve known and respected Rod and his team at RTW for many years. When the rest of the world was skeptical of Alnylam, RTW believed in our vision for RNAi therapeutics and exhibited the long-term, science-based investment approach the firm is known for,” said John Maraganore, Ph.D. “I’m joining RTW as executive partner because I share that approach and have seen first-hand the power it can have to impact patients’ lives.”
Dr. Fong leads RTW’s company creation efforts. In this capacity he served as founding CEO of JIXING, the RTW-backed biopharmaceutical company based in Shanghai, and now serves as CEO of Yarrow Biotechnology, RTW’s antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapeutics company based in New York. As partner, he oversees the firm’s asset development and financing operations. Dr. Fong joined RTW in 2019 from Flagship Pioneering’s innovation team. He previously held roles in business development at Genentech and Memorial Sloan Kettering.
“I am honored to join the partnership at RTW and continue to advance our team’s work on building the next generation of leading biotechnology companies. RTW is one of the first firms to truly adopt full life-cycle investing and I am excited to work alongside my talented partners as well as with Dr. Maraganore to identify, build, and support medical innovations that will transform lives,” said Peter Fong, Ph.D.
John Maraganore, Ph.D. Bio
Dr. John Maraganore is the former founding CEO of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, where he led the advancement of RNAi therapeutics as a whole new class of medicines, bringing four approved medicines (ONPATTRO, GIVLAARI, OXLUMO, and Leqvio) to patients around the world. In addition to his role as executive partner at RTW Investments, Dr. Maraganore serves as venture partner at ARCH Venture Partners and as a venture advisor for Atlas Ventures. Prior to Alnylam, Dr. Maraganore served as an officer and a member of the management team for Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he led the company's product franchise, strategic planning and M&A, and biotherapeutic functions. Before Millennium, he served as director of Molecular Biology and director of Market and Business Development at Biogen, Inc. At Biogen, he also invented and led the discovery and development of ANGIOMAX® (bivalirudin) for injection. Prior to Biogen, he was a scientist at ZymoGenetics, Inc., and the Upjohn Company.
Dr. Maraganore received his Master of Science and Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Chicago. He is a member of the Board for Agios Pharmaceuticals, Beam Therapeutics, Hemab Therapeutics, and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO).
About RTW Investments
Headquartered in New York with expanding operations in Shanghai and London, RTW Investments, LP (RTW) is a global, full life-cycle investment firm that focuses on identifying transformational and disruptive innovations across the biopharmaceutical and medical technologies sectors. As a leading partner of industry and academia, RTW combines deep scientific expertise with a solution-oriented investment approach to advance emerging medical therapies by building and supporting the companies and/or academics developing them. For further information about RTW, please visit www.RTWfunds.com.
