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Arie Belldegrun is the Co-Founder and Senior Managing Director of Vida Ventures and the Executive Chairman of Allogene Therapeutics, based in Los Angeles, California. Prior to his current roles, he founded multiple successful biopharmaceutical companies, including Kite Pharma, which Gilead Sciences acquired for $11.9 billion in 2017, and Cougar Biotechnology, which Johnson and Johnson purchased for $970 million in 2009. At Vida Ventures, he oversees a life sciences investment portfolio with approximately $1.7 billion in assets under management, including an $825 million third fund closed in 2021. He also co-chairs Breakthrough Properties, which raised $3 billion in 2022 for life sciences real estate, and recently launched Symbiotic Capital, a $600 million biotech credit firm. Trained as an academic physician and surgical oncologist at UCLA, Belldegrun focuses on funding and developing advanced cancer immunotherapies and broader life sciences innovations.
Arie Belldegrun, MD, FACS, stands as a prominent figure in the life sciences investment landscape, serving as a Co-Founder and Managing Director at Vida Ventures. At Vida Ventures, Dr. Belldegrun plays a pivotal role in identifying and nurturing groundbreaking biotechnology companies poised to revolutionize patient care. His investment focus is sharply honed on transformative biomedical innovation, with a particular emphasis on oncology, cell therapy, gene therapy, and other advanced therapeutic platforms.
Dr. Belldegrun's career background is distinguished by a unique blend of medical expertise, entrepreneurial success, and strategic leadership. Before co-founding Vida Ventures, he achieved remarkable success as the Founder, Chairman, President, and CEO of Kite Pharma. Under his leadership, Kite Pharma became a pioneer in CAR T-cell therapy, ultimately leading to its acquisition by Gilead Sciences for an impressive $11.9 billion. This landmark achievement underscored his vision for developing cutting-edge therapies that address significant unmet medical needs. Prior to Kite Pharma, Dr. Belldegrun also founded Agensys, a company focused on oncology antibodies, which was later acquired by Astellas Pharma.
His academic and medical roots are equally profound. Dr. Belldegrun served as a Professor of Urology and Chief of Urologic Oncology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he conducted extensive research and treated patients. He earned his medical degree from Hadassah Medical School at the Hebrew University and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the Weizmann Institute of Science and the National Cancer Institute (NIH). His clinical training included a surgical residency at Hadassah University Hospital and a clinical fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
At Vida Ventures, Dr. Belldegrun leverages this deep well of experience to guide investments in companies that are developing next-generation medicines. While specific individual investments are made by Vida Ventures as a firm, his strategic influence is evident across the portfolio, which includes companies like Allogene Therapeutics, Neogene Therapeutics, and Acelyrin, all striving to bring innovative treatments to patients. His leadership at Vida Ventures continues to shape the future of biotechnology, driving capital towards scientific breakthroughs with the potential for significant patient impact.
Arie Belldegrun, MD, FACS, is a highly respected physician, entrepreneur, and investor. He is a Co-Founder and Managing Director at Vida Ventures, a leading life sciences investment firm. He is also widely recognized as the founder and former CEO of Kite Pharma, a pioneer in cell therapy.
As a Managing Director at Vida Ventures, Arie Belldegrun focuses on investing in innovative life sciences and biotechnology companies. His primary areas of interest include oncology, cell therapy, gene therapy, and other advanced therapeutic platforms that address significant unmet medical needs.
Arie Belldegrun works as a Co-Founder and Managing Director at Vida Ventures. Vida Ventures is a prominent life sciences venture capital firm dedicated to investing in transformative biomedical innovation.
