CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and FOSTER CITY, Calif., Oct. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarus Ventures, LLC ("Clarus Ventures"), a leading life sciences investment firm, announced today the appointments of Barry Gertz, M.D., Ph.D., to Venture Partner, and Ari Brettman, M.D., as Associate, both based in the firm's Cambridge, MA, office. Dr. Gertz will also become Chief Medical Advisor for Relay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a newly formed Clarus-backed development company focused on risk-sharing partnerships with pharmaceutical companies.
Dr. Gertz joins Clarus from Merck, where he was Senior Vice President of Global Clinical Development, overseeing all aspects of Merck's clinical research. He brings 28 years of experience in drug development, from exploratory clinical pharmacology to global Phase 3 trials. In that capacity he was instrumental in the development and approval of more than 25 new drugs and vaccines, including the blockbuster products Fosamax and Januvia. Dr. Gertz holds M.D., Ph.D., and B.A. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Brettman joins Clarus Ventures from Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was a Fellow in internal medicine and cardiology. He also was an NIH post-doctoral Fellow at the MGH Center for Systems Biology and was engaged in big data analytics at Partners Healthcare to improve disease management. Dr. Brettman received his M.D. from Duke University and his A.B. from Harvard University.
"I am exceptionally pleased to be joining the Clarus team as a Venture Partner," said Dr. Gertz. "I look forward to contributing to the selection and stewardship of its portfolio of emerging companies and products."
Clarus Managing Director Nicholas Galakatos said, "We are very excited to add the experience and talent that Barry and Ari bring to the Clarus team. They bring tremendous value as we develop important medicines through our portfolio companies and risk-sharing partnerships with pharmaceutical companies."
About Clarus Ventures
Clarus Ventures is a leading global investment firm dedicated to life sciences. Founded in 2005 by a team of accomplished investment and operating professionals, Clarus manages over $1.2 billion invested in more than 50 private and public companies in the biotechnology, medical device and diagnostic spaces. In every investment, Clarus employs a hands-on philosophy and adheres to investment principles that are founded on core competencies in drug development, complex partnership structuring and the ability to adapt to an ever-changing investment landscape. Clarus strives to generate outstanding returns for its investors by identifying and financing innovative medicines that improve people's lives. Clarus has offices in Cambridge, MA, and Foster City, CA. For more information please visit, www.clarusventures.com.
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SOURCE Clarus Ventures, LLC