MedImmune Ventures, Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca’s $300m biotechnology corporate venturing unit, has hired legendary healthcare manager Ron Laufer as its senior managing director.
Laufer previously co-founded Lilly Ventures, US-based pharma peer Eli Lilly & Company’s corporate venturing unit, before leaving about three years ago.
Laufer subsequently became a managing director (MD) for Visium Asset Management, a healthcare-focused investment firm, where he established the firm’s venture capital team.
At MedImmune Ventures, which was 14th on the Global Corporate Venturing list of most influential in-house venture capital healthcare units behind Lilly Ventures, Laufer will work with Frank Top, senior vice president, and its two MDs, Eva Jack and Maggie Flanagan LeFlore.
The venturing group is run by MedImmune’s president, Peter Greenleaf, who said: "MedImmune Ventures has been a pioneer in making investments in start-up biologics companies. I look forward to Ron’s leadership of MedImmune Ventures on its path to continued success."