BB Pureos Bioventures expands its advisory board by appointing Dr. Omar Khwaja
Küsnacht – Pureos Bioventures is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Omar Khwaja, MD, PhD, as a new addition to the fund’s advisory board. Omar brings a rich and diverse experience in research and translational clinical drug development in neuroscience, neurogenetics, and rare disease in both industry and academic roles.
Omar Khwaja is Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research and Development at Voyager Therapeutics, Inc., a Boston-based biotech, developing therapies for neurological disorders through innovative adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector engineering and optimization. Before joining Voyager, Omar served as Global Head of Neuroscience Translational Medicine and Global Head of Rare Diseases at Roche. During his tenure at Roche, Omar initiated and led the first clinical programs in gene therapy and delivered multiple clinical programs across various therapeutic modalities and indications such as Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and Huntington’s disease. Prior to that, Omar was Director of the Clinical Neurogenetics Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and on the faculty of Harvard Medical School.
Pureos is a venture capital firm investing in young biotech companies that seek to cure or treat severe diseases by translating scientific innovation into therapeutics. Based on the team’s broad operative and investment experience, Pureos› special investment focus is on biotech companies developing the next generation of biologic drugs and drug formats. The fund supports its portfolio companies through all stages, from inception and through clinical trials.
«We’re thrilled to be able to work more closely with Omar at Pureos,» stated Dr. Martin Münchbach, Managing Partner at Pureos. «He is uniquely qualified to provide additional direction to Pureos. As a physician, he has a deep understanding of patients› needs and as a researcher he has the cutting-edge scientific expertise to both help inform our investment decisions and translate scientific innovations into positive clinical outcomes»
Dr. Omar Khwaja commented: «I am very pleased to join Pureos› Advisory Board. The fund pursues the right strategy focusing on companies that develop innovative treatments and that puts the benefit to patients and the quality of the data in the center. I will be glad to contribute to bring some of these investments and treatments forward.»
Omar received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. He trained in paediatrics and clinical genetics in London, UK and Melbourne, Australia and at Massachusetts General Hospital and was Chief Resident at Boston Children’s Hospital. He is a Member of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom and a Member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. (BB Pureos Bioventures/mc/ps)
About BB Pureos Bioventures
Pureos Bioventures is a newly formed venture capital fund, advised by Bellevue Asset Management, with offices in Zurich, London and New York. Active since 1993, Bellevue manages more than six billion dollars in the healthcare sector. Pureos invests exclusively in private innovative drug development companies, with a special emphasis on the next generation of biological drugs and drug formats. With its dedicated and experienced team of venture capitalists and biotech entrepreneurs, Pureos strives to impact patients› lives by advancing innovative treatments for severe diseases. For further information, see www.pureosbio.com
