Michael Powell
Executive Partner at Omega Funds
Michael Powell
Executive Partner at Omega Funds
Boston, Massachusetts
Overview
Work Experience
Executive Partner
2021 - Current
Omega Funds creates and invests in life science companies that target the world's unmet medical needs, with the goal of delivering impactful medicines to patients. The Omega Investment team is comprised of highly technical investors, both in US and EU, with a focus on biotech companies, both platform, and clinic drug development. Offices in Boston, MA and Geneva, Switzerland.
Managing General Partner
1997 - 2021
Sofinnova Investments specializes in clinical and late preclinical investments in pharmaceutical products. The Sofinnova team of investors consists of PhDs and MDs with significant scientific, operational, and strategic experience in this highly technical field of drug development; team members provide a deeper level of operational and technical expertise, as each person on the team has developed drugs, many with decades of experience. Office in Menlo Park, CA. (Raised >$2.5B for Sofinnova Funds IV-X. Active participation on 40 different biotech company boards from 1997-2021; Chair or Lead Board Member on 11).
Group Leader, Pharm R&D
1990 - 1997
The Pharm R&D group was responsible for all formulation development at Genentech, including small molecules, peptides, growth factors, antibodies, and other proteins. Expertise in this group included adjuvant design, microsphere directed sustained drug delivery, pulmonary drug delivery, intracranial drug delivery, needle-free injector systems, novel excipient studies, as well as drug stability and formulation design (32 Journal publications in formulation and drug delivery).
Director of Product Development
1987 - 1990
Cytel was founded by San Diego entrepreneur, Ted Greene, and world reknown researcher, Howard Grey, who pioneered much of the peptide binding studies to Class I and II HLA molecules. As one of the initial hires (Cytel Research Notebook #1) we built research and development programs to develop immunomodulators, or drugs that fight disease by mobilizing or blocking the body's immune responses, specifically by blocking HLA/MHC. The company enjoyed significant success, as it went from start-up to a Nasdaq-listed company in approximately 4 years, and with only a single round of venture capital (8 Journal publications in immunology).
Senior Scientist, Formulation Development
1984 - 1987
Preformulation studies of drug candidates, including small molecules, peptides, and proteins. Full chemical and physical characterization of API, including stability, polymorphism, photoreactivity, chemical compatibility, and related physical properties. Formulation development of parenteral and sustained release dosage forms, for small molecule NCEs, peptides and proteins (13 Journal publications in preformulation, formulation and drug delivery).
Scientist
1977 - 1977
Kinetic and equilibrium isotope effect analysis of hydrides, useful for understanding fractionation theory and deuterium isotope enhancement (1 Journal publication in isotope chemistry).
Education
Postdoctoral Studies, Faculty Member
1981 - 1984
PhD
1977 - 1981
BS - Honors
1973 - 1977