Kurt von Emster

Managing Partner, Head of Life Sciences

2015 - Current

Abingworth invests in private and public life sciences companies. We are currently investing $1.1b in funds.

Board Member

2023

Iambic Therapeutics combines physics and AI to create a differentiated drug discovery platform to quickly and efficiently create potentially best-in-class molecules.

Board Member

2020

Board Member

2020

Orbus is a phase 3 oncology company. Eflornithine is a novel cytostatic agent that inhibits tumor growth by preventing cell division and proliferation which Orbus Therapeutics is developing for the treatment of patients with anaplastic astrocytoma (AA), or Grade 3 glioma, a rare and deadly form of brain cancer. Eflornithine irreversibly blocks ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), a key enzyme associated with various types of cancer.

Board Member

2020

SFJ Pharmaceuticals® is a global specialty pharmaceutical company with an innovative pharmaceutical co-development model that provides an advantageous alternative to traditional pharma partnerships. SFJ Pharmaceuticals®’s unique partnering approach provides experienced clinical and medical professionals, clinical development resources and operational oversight and execution to accelerate late-phase drug development candidates across multiple indications and therapeutic areas. The result is pipeline acceleration for our partners.

Board Member

2019

Jasper is a biotechnology company focused on enabling safer conditioning agents to allow for expanded use of curative therapy with stem cell transplants and gene therapies. Jasper’s lead compound, JSP191, is in clinical development as a conditioning antibody that clears hematopoietic stem cells from bone marrow in patients undergoing a stem cell transplant.

Board of Directors

2009 - 2024

Chairman

2015 - 2022

Vaxcyte is developing best-in-class vaccines for human health.

Chairman

2020 - 2022

Our mission is to improve medical treatment for patients with immunologic and inflammatory diseases. Our lead program is atacicept for IgAN currently in Phase 2 clinical development.

Board Member

2020 - 2022