Karuna Therapeutics Inc - Nan Fung Life Sciences

SECTOR:

CNS

FUND/VEHICLE:

Pivotal US

INVESTMENT DATE:

2019

GEOGRAPHY:

North America

STATUS CURRENT/FORMER INVESTMENT:

Existing

WEBSITE:

karunatx.com

Karuna Therapeutics is a clinical-stage company targeting muscarinic cholinergic receptors for the treatment of psychosis and cognitive impairment across central nervous system (CNS) disorders.

Name

Heather Preston

POSITION

Managing Partner

Heather Preston joined Pivotal in 2018 and brings 30 years of healthcare experience. Most recently she was a Firm Partner and Managing Director at TPG Biotech and she is currently a Senior Advisor to TPG. Prior to joining TPG in 2005, Dr. Preston spent two years investing with JP Morgan Partners and she was also an Entrepreneur-in-Residence with New Enterprise Associates. Prior to becoming a venture capital investor, Heather spent five years at McKinsey & Co. in New York, where she was a leader of their pharmaceutical and medical products consulting practice. She advised large pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies on critical strategic issues such as R&D portfolio prioritization, M&A opportunities, new technology acquisitions, new product launches and product growth strategies. Heather currently serves on the board of directors of Oxford Biomedica (LSE:OXB); Alder BioPharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALDR); Otonomy, Inc. (NASDAQ:OTIC); Unchained Labs, Avalyn Pharmaceuticals, Azura Opthalmics and Entasis Inc. She has previously served on multiple boards including Albireo (NASDAQ:ALBO), Aptalis Pharma (acquired by Forest Labs in 2014), and Elevation Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Sunovion in 2012). She was responsible for TPG Biotech’s investment in Par Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Endo Pharmaceuticals in 2015). Heather has an undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of London and a medical degree from the University of Oxford. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in molecular biology at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard University and trained in Internal Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard and sub-specialized in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at UCSF. During her academic medical career, she was the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship, a Fulbright Cancer Research Scholarship, a Harlech Scholarship and a Science and Engineering Research Council Post-doctoral Fellowship Award. Dr. Preston also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Harvard Discovery Council, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Saint Luke’s School and the Harlech Scholarship Foundation.