Dr. Tadataka Yamada Joins Frazier Healthcare

Frazier Healthcare, a leading provider of growth equity and venture capital to high growth and emerging healthcare companies, announced today that Dr. Tadataka (Tachi) Yamada has joined the firm as a Senior Executive in Residence. At Frazier Healthcare, Dr. Yamada will work with both the growth equity and venture capital teams in pursuing opportunities to launch and grow game-changing healthcare companies both in the U.S. and in emerging markets. Dr. Yamada was most recently the President of the Global Health Program for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he led the foundation’s efforts to develop and deliver life-saving therapies in the developing world. Prior to the Gates Foundation, Dr. Yamada served as Chairman of R&D at GlaxoSmithKline, where he oversaw worldwide pharmaceutical research and development; he also served as a member of the GSK Board of Directors.“I’m very excited to join Frazier Healthcare in this new role,” stated Dr. Yamada. “Frazier has a tremendous track record of successfully partnering with entrepreneurs to build healthcare companies that address major health needs, illustrated most recently in Calistoga Pharmaceuticals, Marcadia Biotech, and Bravo Health. With its focus on healthcare and unique combination growth equity and venture capital strategies, I feel that Frazier Healthcare is an outstanding platform for me to build entrepreneurial healthcare organizations.”“We are thrilled to have Tachi join our already strong team,” said Alan Frazier, Managing Partner of Frazier Healthcare. “His unparalleled global reach and wide-ranging expertise in healthcare will be major assets as we look to identify and create companies that build value for our investors by delivering therapies and services that improve patient outcomes and add efficiencies to healthcare delivery. In addition, his leadership and proficiency in growing and managing top-notch organizations will be critical in guiding our portfolio of high-growth and emerging companies.”“Leveraging Tachi’s experiences as head of R&D of a major pharmaceutical company and as leader of a highly-regarded global organization such as the Gates Foundation will provide a major advantage in identifying and developing new, innovative ventures,” said Jamie Topper, General Partner with Frazier Healthcare. “Combining Tachi’s unique capabilities with our distinctive track-record of growth equity and venture capital investing is a strong formula for success.”Dr. Yamada will split his time between his role with Frazier Healthcare and as a member of the board and an advisor to the CEO of Takeda Pharmaceuticals.