Turning a promising discovery into a new diagnostic tool or treatment that can change someone’s life takes more than good science. It takes investment, a willingness to take risks, and a commitment to advancing ideas that could improve care.
That’s where Nishant Rastogi comes in.
The product of a family of physicians, Nishant brings more than a decade of experience in venture capital and private equity to his role as Managing Director of Lupus Ventures, the newly formed venture investment fund of the Lupus Research Alliance dedicated to lupus and its manifestations, as well as related autoimmune conditions. With a focus on “return on mission,” Nishant – alongside his team and the Lupus Ventures advisory network – are working to identify and invest in promising companies developing new therapies and diagnostics for people living with lupus.
For Nishant, this is an opportunity to bring his experience in finance to the science he believes can change lives.
Hear it from Nishant:
You’re leading up an exciting initiative for the Lupus Research Alliance. Tell us about it.
I’m honored to launch Lupus Ventures – the Lupus Research Alliance’s venture investment fund. Our mission is to accelerate the development of new treatments and diagnostics for people living with lupus globally. We aim to do that by identifying, evaluating, investing in, and supporting biotech and medtech companies that have the potential to improve standard of care or quality of life .
This is important because the biotech and medtech ecosystem is where innovation that begins in academia starts to mature and be housed in companies that hope to test potential therapies in clinical trials. These companies often need significant financing to fund their next milestone – whether it’s another preclinical experiment, a clinical trial, or a regulatory or product milestone – but it’s hard to come by.
That’s where venture capital funding contributes to further innovation. We invest in these companies so their products can reach people who need them.
How will Lupus Ventures help those living with lupus?
We are investing in companies with high-potential science that are otherwise not being funded or advanced, and companies that could benefit from our lupus-specific expertise.
We aim to be a strategic partner for our portfolio companies and support them in prioritizing or advancing their lupus-related innovations.
All of this is done to bring new options to market for people living with the disease.
What excites you about this venture?
I’m excited to lead and introduce this new initiative to the Lupus Research Alliance as it builds on the organization’s mission – to support the best new science to prevent, treat and cure lupus. Having a venture fund to make investments into companies allows us to expand our support of programs that are contributing to lupus innovation and can improve the lives of those affected by the disease.
I also love building things and contributing from the start. Having built and scaled two different venture funds in my career, I am excited about building the team, network, and processes of Lupus Ventures as well as connecting the Lupus Research Alliance with new audiences in the finance, pharma, and biotech communities.
What have you been proud to accomplish in the first few months of Lupus Ventures, and what gets you excited about what’s to come?
I’m most proud of the team that we’ve recruited. Developing new medicines is a complex and interdisciplinary process. No one person has the entire toolkit to do it independently. We intentionally assembled a team and network of advisors that span academia, clinical research, clinical medicine, pharma, biotech, women’s health, manufacturing, finance, legal, philanthropy, and other perspectives to support this initiative.
One important perspective we’ve incorporated into our advisory network is our unique Voice of Patient Council. This committee ensures that the patient perspective is incorporated into the core of our investment strategy.
Before you joined, what stood out to you about the Lupus Research Alliance?
I was attracted to this opportunity because of the depth and talent, and scale of the Lupus Research Alliance. The Lupus Research Alliance has a long history with an impressive infrastructure and network in lupus research and clinical trials – all backed by a committed and generous community.
Everyone I’ve met here is incredibly talented – and every academic and clinical leader, as well as every person living with lupus I’ve spoken with, has had only positive feedback about the organization. I was also excited to join a patient-first, collaborative, and mission-oriented culture.
You come from a family of physicians. How does that inform your approach?
The end goal for me is to be able to say that one (or more) of my investments meaningfully contributed to improving the standard of care or quality of life for patients. In my career, I’ve been lucky enough to have accomplished this goal a few times. A few examples of these investments include a minimally-invasive circulatory support device for heart failure, a non-pharmacological, neuromodulation treatment for migraine,, and a continuous infusion patch for pulmonary arterial hypertension.
I hope I can one day say the same for lupus.
What gets you out of bed each morning?
My kids and my wife’s espresso machine! And the privilege of knowing that I can learn something new every day in my job.
What are three things that people should know about you?
I’m a huge Philadelphia sports fan, I maintain a vegetable garden every year and have over 30 houseplants, and I’m constantly trying to improve my tennis and golf game.
To learn more about Lupus Ventures, visit LupusVentures.org.
Tags: lupus ventures, Nishant Rastogi