James Healy
About James I. Healy
James I. Healy, M.D., Ph.D., age 60, is an independent Class II director of Rapport Therapeutics (RAPP) who has served on the board since August 2023. He is Managing Partner of Sofinnova Investments, Inc. (since June 2000) and holds B.A. degrees in molecular biology and Scandinavian studies (UC Berkeley) and M.D./Ph.D. (immunology) from Stanford University School of Medicine .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ascendis Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ASND) | Director (former) | Nov 2014 – May 2022 | Not disclosed |
| Amarin Corporation PLC (Nasdaq: AMRN) | Director (former) | May 2008 – Dec 2016 | Not disclosed |
| Bolt Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: BOLT) | Director (former) | Jan 2021 – Sep 2024 | Not disclosed |
| CinCor Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: CINC) | Director (former) | May 2019 – Feb 2023 | Not disclosed |
| Coherus BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CHRS) | Director (former) | Feb 2014 – Feb 2022 | Not disclosed |
| Karuna Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: KRTX) | Director (former) | Jun 2019 – Mar 2024 | Not disclosed |
| Iterum Therapeutics plc (Nasdaq: ITRM) | Director (former) | Nov 2015 – Feb 2020 | Not disclosed |
| ObsEva SA (Nasdaq: OBSEF) | Director (former) | Aug 2013 – May 2021 | Not disclosed |
| NuCana PLC (Nasdaq: NCNA) | Director (former) | Mar 2014 – Apr 2022 | Not disclosed |
| National Venture Capital Association; BIO | Board member (former) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sofinnova Investments, Inc. | Managing Partner | Jun 2000 – Present | Healthcare investing leadership |
| ArriVent Biopharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVBP) | Director | Mar 2023 – Present | Not disclosed |
| Natera, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTRA) | Director | Nov 2014 – Present | Not disclosed |
| Y-mAbs Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: YMAB) | Director | Nov 2017 – Present | Not disclosed |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined in March 2025 that all directors except the CEO (Ceesay) and Dr. Huber are independent; Dr. Healy is independent under Nasdaq and SEC rules .
- Committee assignments (as of Apr 24, 2025): Compensation Committee Chair; Audit Committee Member .
- Attendance and engagement: The full Board met 5 times in 2024; non-employee directors held executive sessions at each regular meeting; each incumbent director attended at least 75% of aggregate Board and applicable committee meetings in 2024. Audit met 2x; Compensation met 6x; Nominating & Corporate Governance met 3x; Science & Technology met 5x .
- Board leadership: CEO and Chair roles are separated; Steven M. Paul, M.D. is Chair of the Board .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount | Period/Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Fees earned or paid in cash | $34,533 | Director cash compensation in FY2024 |
| Option awards (grant date fair value) | — | FY2024 (none reported) |
| Committee retainers (policy) | Audit member $7,500; Compensation Chair $10,000 | Policy adopted June 2024; paid quarterly, prorated |
| Board retainer (policy) | $40,000 annual (non-employee directors) | Policy adopted June 2024 |
Note: The policy amounts reflect the company-wide schedule; the FY2024 cash paid to Dr. Healy was $34,533 per the director compensation table .
Performance Compensation
| Equity Element | FY2024 Grants | Outstanding as of 12/31/2024 | Policy Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock options (director awards) | $0 | No unexercised options reported for Dr. Healy | FY2024 director table; options outstanding table show “—” for Healy |
| Initial Director Grant (policy) | One-time option for 29,756 shares | Vests 1/3 at 1 year, remainder monthly over next 24 months | Policy adopted in IPO; full acceleration on sale of company |
| Annual Director Grant (policy) | 14,878 options annually | Vests by next annual meeting or 1 year | Policy adopted in IPO; full acceleration on sale of company |
- Hedging and pledging: Company policy prohibits short sales, derivatives, hedging, and pledging of company stock by directors .
- Clawback: Compensation recovery policy adopted May 29, 2024 (effective June 6, 2024) for incentive-based compensation upon restatement, applicable to executive officers (director grants are equity, but policy strengthens governance posture) .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current public boards | ArriVent Biopharma (AVBP); Natera (NTRA); Y-mAbs Therapeutics (YMAB) |
| Ownership interlock (RAPP) | Entities affiliated with Sofinnova beneficially own 1,951,562 shares (5.35%); Dr. Healy is Managing Partner and may be deemed to share voting power; beneficial ownership is disclaimed except to pecuniary interest . |
| Related party financings | Sofinnova-affiliated entities purchased 11,924,138 Series B preferred shares for ~$20.0M (Aug 2023/March 2024) and 470,589 common shares for $8.0M in the concurrent private placement (June 2024); also 88,235 common shares ($1.5M) in the IPO . |
| Related party policy | Company requires Board/Audit Committee approval of related person transactions >$120,000; policy adopted at IPO . |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Managing Partner, Sofinnova Investments (since 2000), extensive leadership in biopharma venture investing and multiple public company directorships .
- Education: B.A. (molecular biology; Scandinavian studies), UC Berkeley; M.D./Ph.D. (immunology), Stanford University School of Medicine .
- Financial literacy: Board determined Audit Committee members (including Dr. Healy) can read/understand fundamental financial statements; Audit Committee “financial expert” is Paul M. Silva .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Beneficial Ownership | % Outstanding | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| James I. Healy, M.D., Ph.D. | 1,951,562 shares | 5.35% | Attributed to entities affiliated with Sofinnova per Schedule 13D; managing partner may be deemed to share voting power; disclaimers apply . |
| Options (60-day exercisable) | — | — | No options exercisable within 60 days reported for Dr. Healy . |
| Pledging/Hedging | Prohibited | — | Company policy bars hedging and pledging by directors . |
Governance Assessment
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Strengths: Independent director; Chair of Compensation Committee and member of Audit Committee; solid attendance expectations met at Board level; separation of Chair/CEO; robust hedging/pledging prohibitions and compensation recovery policy; executive sessions held at each regular Board meeting .
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Alignment: Significant beneficial ownership (5.35%) via Sofinnova creates strong economic exposure to shareholder outcomes, though beneficial ownership is through funds with standard disclaimers .
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Watch items / RED FLAGS:
- Investor affiliation: As Managing Partner of a 5%+ stockholder (Sofinnova), Dr. Healy chairs the Compensation Committee; while the Board affirmed his independence under Nasdaq/SEC rules, investors should monitor for potential perceived conflicts in pay decisions involving related parties and venture-backed governance dynamics .
- Single-trigger acceleration: Director equity awards (Initial and Annual Grants) accelerate in full upon sale of the company, which can misalign incentives around M&A timing; ensure disclosure and rationale are robust .
- Related-party exposure: Sofinnova participated in RAPP financings (Series B, IPO, and concurrent private placement); the company has a formal related person transaction policy, but continued oversight remains prudent .
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Overall implication: Dr. Healy brings deep biopharma and capital markets expertise with meaningful ownership exposure via Sofinnova. Committee leadership and independence designations support governance quality; however, his dual role as VC principal and Compensation Chair warrants ongoing scrutiny for conflicts, particularly in compensation benchmarking and potential related-party contexts .