LSIPR 50 2017: James Topper—Venturing into biotech

Frazier Healthcare Partners has been responsible for creating and investing in multiple biotech companies, developing products from novel antibiotics to cancer therapies. James Topper, Frazier’s managing general partner, explains the firm’s philosophy.

Bringing back big returns on investments is the main goal of venture capitalism. But for James Topper, managing general partner of Frazier Healthcare Partners, there is more that drove him to venturing into life sciences: he finds it rewarding to work with biotech companies as they release drugs that benefit patients. 

“The thing I’m most proud of is having been involved in multiple successful venture capital investments in the biotech space together with my colleagues. Many of these have resulted in the development of drugs which have made it to the market and are now benefiting hundreds of thousands of patients,” says Topper. 

“All our companies are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and ultimately have to pass scrutiny by that organisation to be successful for the long term.”