4BIO Capital appoints Philippe Fauchet, OBE, as Venture Partner, Japan

LONDON & BOSTON – 4BIO Capital (“4BIO” or “the Group”), an international venture capital firm focused solely on the advanced therapies sector, announces today that it has appointed Philippe Fauchet, OBE, as a Venture Partner based in Japan.

Philippe has a wealth of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, most recently as the Chairman of GlaxoSmithKline K.K. (the Company’s Japanese arm), from April 2017 to February 2019. Philippe joined GlaxoSmithKline K.K as President & Representative Director in January 2010, having previously been a Senior Vice President at Sanofi-Aventis Group since 2005. In 2014 Philippe was awarded an honorary OBE for his contributions to business relations between the UK and Japan and ambassadorial role championing the British and European life-science industry.

Philippe brings invaluable experience of the life sciences sector in the Asia Pacific region as the Group looks to expand in this part of the world, where innovation in cell and gene therapies and RNA platforms, including the seminal discovery of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (IPSCs) in 2007, has been internationally recognized. The Group will both seek to raise funds from Japan and invest in Japanese discovery in advanced therapies.

Alongside various instrumental roles in the pharmaceutical industry, Philippe has been an advisor to a number of boards including being Chairman, then Vice Chairman of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) Japan until June 2018. He has regularly been elected to the board of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan (BCCJ) from 2015 to 2019, and is also appointed French Foreign Trade Advisor (CCE). He is also Adjunct Professor at the University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Medicine, Global Health Policy Department.

Dmitry Kuzmin, Managing Partner at 4BIO Capital, said: “Japan is recognised globally as one of the countries at the forefront of advancements in the cell and gene therapy space, with an enabling legislative system which has promoted progress there. Philippe’s extensive experience in this market and his unrivalled Asia-Pacific network, will be invaluable as we seek to evaluate potential investments in the region.”

Philippe Fauchet, OBE, said: “As one of the first international venture capital funds focused solely on investing in advanced therapies, I am delighted to join the 4BIO Capital team and promote Japanese innovation and investment. With strong academic science at their core and the team’s impressive track record of previous investments, I look forward to supporting them in their aim to invest in effective, reasonable and sustainable advanced therapies that could ultimately cure chronic disease.”