BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Third Rock Ventures announced today that David Kaufman, M.D., Ph.D. has been promoted to partner. Dr. Kaufman joined Third Rock as a venture partner in 2020 and has made significant contributions to the firm’s discovery and company creation efforts. As a physician-scientist with prior tenures at the Gates Medical Research Institute and Merck Research Labs, he brings a unique and important perspective to the team.
“Our hands-on approach to creating companies is predicated on individuals who possess a passion for science and an unwavering commitment to improving health outcomes through biomedical innovation,” said Reid Huber, Ph.D., partner at Third Rock. “Since joining our team in 2020, David has made numerous contributions within our firm and across our portfolio of companies. His unique combination of public health and translational medicine expertise add considerable value to our partnership, and we look forward to leveraging these talents to harness the unprecedented levels of innovation present in our industry today.”
“I am very excited about my new role at Third Rock,” said Dr. Kaufman. “In my time with the firm to date, I have learned a great deal from this team of exceptional colleagues who thrive on collaborating with each other to chart the course for the creation of innovative biotechnology companies. I have tremendous appreciation for the approach at Third Rock, which combines science, strategy, business and medicine to translate scientific innovations to novel medicines for patients.”
Third Rock also announced today that it has added two industry leaders as venture partners:
- Jigar Raythatha has joined Third Rock as a venture partner after holding several senior strategic roles at some of the firm’s portfolio companies. Most recently, he was CEO of Constellation Pharmaceuticals, where he led the company through an IPO and its recent acquisition by MorphoSys AG. Under Mr. Raythatha’s leadership, Constellation made important advancements with its pipeline of epigenetic programs in hematology-oncology, which were seen as a value driver for MorphoSys AG. He had originally joined Constellation shortly after its founding as head of corporate development. He then joined Jounce Therapeutics as its chief business officer, and one of its first employees, before returning to Constellation as CEO.
- Jeff Walsh joins the firm with over 30 years of operating experience. He was most recently at bluebird bio where he held the roles of chief operating officer and chief financial and strategy officer. As one of the early employees of bluebird, he was instrumental in growing the company to a global commercial entity with multiple approved products. Mr. Walsh led bluebird’s IPO in 2013 and subsequent equity financings. He drove the foundational strategic partnership with Celgene/Bristol Myers Squibb in cancer cell therapy, ultimately leading to the approval of Abecma for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
Mr. Raythatha and Mr. Walsh join a robust team of venture partners at the firm, including Mark Angelino, Ph.D., Andrea van Elsas, Ph.D., and Lorence Kim, M.D., who each joined in recent months.
“The role of venture partner is an incredibly important and valued one at Third Rock,” said Abbie Celniker, Ph.D., partner at Third Rock. “We are constantly looking to identify key individuals with profiles in critical areas of expertise – strategic, scientific, financial and operational. These individuals are integral in the discovery and creation of our portfolio companies, often taking on interim leadership roles in the early days. With Jeff and Jigar, we have seen first-hand the positive impact they have had in our portfolio. They both bring extensive operating expertise and strategic acumen, and we are looking forward to the contributions they will make as we continue to translate exciting new science to build sustainable companies.”
David Kaufman, M.D., Ph.D., joined Third Rock in 2020. Before joining, he was chief medical officer and head of translational development at the Bill and Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute (MRI). He helped establish the Gates MRI as a “nonprofit biotech,” developing novel drugs and vaccines for tuberculosis, malaria, enteric diseases, neonatal health, and other global health challenges. Prior to that, Dr. Kaufman led translational oncology at Merck Research Laboratories, where he oversaw immuno-oncology translational medicine, novel biomarker development and global translational research partnering. He joined Merck through the Merck Drug Development and Leadership Program, and worked across vaccines, infectious diseases and clinical oncology. Before joining Merck, he was a physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Kaufman received his M.D. from Cornell University School of Medicine and his Ph.D. in immunology and molecular virology from The Rockefeller University. He trained in internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and in infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He is a member of the board of directors of Hookipa Pharma and a director ex officio of the Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC).
Jigar Raythatha has spent nearly 25 years in the biotechnology industry in a variety of business functions. Most recently he served as president and CEO of Constellation Pharmaceuticals from March 2017 until its acquisition by MorphoSys AG in July 2021 for $1.7 billion. In this role, Jigar transformed the company from an early-stage discovery company to an integrated discovery, development, and commercial company. Jigar joined Constellation from Jounce Therapeutics, where he held the role of chief business officer from the inception of the company through its IPO. In this role, Jigar was responsible for putting in place its foundational partnership with Celgene. Previously, he served as head of corporate development at Constellation, where he led business development, strategy and program and alliance management functions. Prior to Constellation, Jigar worked with Red Abbey Venture Partners, initially, as a Kauffman Fellow and later as a principal and venture partner. Earlier in his career, Jigar held roles of increasing responsibility at Biogen and A.T. Kearney. He earned an MBA from Columbia University and a B.A. in biochemistry and economics from Rutgers University. Jigar is currently a member of the board of directors at Jounce Therapeutics and the American Cancer Society New England Area.
Jeff Walsh brings to Third Rock over 30 years of healthcare company building experience, where he has held leadership positions with established, emerging and start-up public and private life sciences companies. Most recently, Jeff held the role of chief financial and strategy officer at bluebird bio. Jeff joined bluebird bio in 2011 and over a nine-year period, he helped drive the company’s overall growth from a 20-person Cambridge based start-up to a global 1,200+ employee research, development, and commercial enterprise with multiple approved products. He led bluebird’s IPO in 2013 and subsequent equity financings, totaling over $3 billion. Jeff drove the foundational strategic partnership with Celgene/Bristol Myers Squibb in cancer cell therapy, ultimately leading to the approval of Abecma for the treatment of multiple myeloma. From 2008 to 2011, Jeff served as chief business and financial officer of Taligen Therapeutics where he played a key role in the growth of the company and the ultimate sale of Taligen to Alexion Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Taligen, he held senior business development, finance, sales and operations roles at SmithKline Beecham, PathoGenesis Corp. (PGNS acquired by Chiron Corporation), Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, EXACT Sciences and Inotek Pharmaceuticals. Jeff received his B.A. in sociology and economics from Yale University and his MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University with concentrations in finance and healthcare. Jeff is currently a member of the board of directors at Tevard Biosciences and a member of the board of directors and audit chair at Tenaya Therapeutics. Jeff is also a former member of the board of directors and executive committee (treasurer) of The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine. Jeff has been a guest lecturer on topics of entrepreneurialism and biotechnology organizational development at the University of Chicago (Booth), Dartmouth (Tuck), Boston University (Questrom) and MIT (Sloan).
About Third Rock Ventures
Third Rock Ventures is a leading healthcare venture firm focused on advancing disruptive areas of science and medicine to deliver breakthroughs to patients. By starting with big ideas and fostering collaboration among people with expertise in science, medicine, business and strategy, we aim to discover, launch, and build innovative companies that can transform the lives of patients. Our mission is to be the preferred partner for entrepreneurs, investors, employees and industry to build great companies that discover and develop products that make a difference for the patients we serve. For more information, please visit www.thirdrockventures.com.
