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About
Kush M. Parmar, M.D., Ph.D., is Managing Partner at 5AM Ventures, a venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments in the life sciences sector, with a strong emphasis on biotechnology, therapeutics, and drug delivery technologies. At 5AM Ventures (Boston, MA), he leads investment strategy, portfolio management, and company building, and serves on the boards of several innovative biotech companies, including Entrada Therapeutics and Ensoma.
Dr. Parmar's career centers on financing and growing startups that translate scientific breakthroughs into new medicines, often guiding companies through IPOs, acquisitions, and major funding rounds. His directorships and board memberships span a range of biopharmaceutical, research instrument, and healthcare technology ventures, reflecting deep expertise in advancing clinical-stage therapeutics, especially for unmet medical needs. He has played a pivotal role in transformative projects, including work leading to landmark patient outcomes such as first-time hearing restoration, and helped co-found Immuneel, focused on affordable CAR-T therapies in India.
Dr. Parmar holds an M.D. and Ph.D. from Harvard Medical School and Harvard University, and an A.B. in Molecular Biology and Medieval Studies from Princeton University; he completed his clinical training at Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s Hospitals, and undertook research in developmental genetics with a Nobel laureate at Princeton. He is a Fellow of the Kauffman Society, and serves on several academic and scientific advisory boards, leveraging his scientific, clinical, and entrepreneurial expertise to support next-generation life sciences innovation.
Career History
| Organization | Role | Date Range | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5AM Ventures | Managing Partner | Jan 2010 to Present | 5AM Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on building next-generation life science companies. Founded in 2002, 5AM Ventures has over $1.5 billion USD under management. The firm has o... |
| Entrada Therapeutics | Chairman Of The Board Of Directors | Sep 2016 to Present | Entrada Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to transforming the treatment of devastating diseases through the intracellular delivery of biologics. www.entradatx.com |
| Ensoma | Board Member | Sep 2019 to Present | At Ensoma, we believe every person, no matter where they are in the world, should have access to innovative technologies that are changing the way we treat disease. Harnessing the power of our Engenio... |
| Rallybio | Board Of Directors | May 2018 to Present | Rallybio was established to identify and accelerate the development of transformative breakthrough therapies for patients with severe and rare disorders. The founders of the company – Martin Mackay, P... |
| Immuneel Therapeutics, Ltd. | Co-Founder | Jul 2019 to Present | Mission-driven enterprise to spearhead access to cell and gene therapies for cancer patients in India. Co-founded by Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Kush Parmar and Siddhartha Mukherjee. Headquartered in Bangalo... |
| Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System | Research Council Member | Mar 2018 to Present | — |
| Princeton University | Advisory Council, Department of Molecular Biology | Sep 2015 to Present | — |
| Grace Science Foundation | Member, Scientific Advisory Board | Jun 2014 to Present | Grace Wilsey and other affected patients like her have two damaging mutations in their NGLY1 gene. Led by Grace's parents Matt and Kristen, an international team of clinicians and researchers has come... |
| Audentes Therapeutics | Board Of Directors | Jul 2013 to Present | Audentes (NASDAQ: BOLD) is a biotechnology company committed to the development and commercialization of innovative new treatments for people with life-threatening rare diseases through the applicatio... |
| Homology Medicines, Inc. | Founding CEO, Chairman | Dec 2015 to Apr 2023 | Homology Medicines (NASDAQ: FIXX) is a genetic medicines company translating proprietary, cutting-edge gene editing and gene therapy technology into cures for patients with rare diseases.
www.homology... |
| Vor Biopharma | Chairman | Feb 2019 to Dec 2022 | Vor Biopharma is an immuno-oncology company developing novel therapies with broad potential for treating cancer. Vor is focused on developing technologies that can enable selective targeting of cancer... |
| Akouos | Board Of Directors | Sep 2017 to Oct 2022 | Akouos is developing targeted therapies to restore and preserve hearing in genetically-defined patient populations. Its founders include leaders in the fields of neurotology, inner ear drug delivery, ... |
| Arvinas | Board of Directors | Jul 2013 to Sep 2019 | Arvinas (NASDAQ: ARVN) is a pharmaceutical company focused on developing new small molecule strategies aimed at removing unwanted cellular proteins. We are translating these innovative protein degrada... |
| scPharmaceuticals | Board of Directors | Mar 2014 to May 2018 | scPharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SCPH) is developing a portfolio of transformative pharmaceutical products for subcutaneous delivery. The initial products are based on widely used generic drugs which now r... |
| Novira Therapeutics | Board Observer and Acting VP, Strategy and Corporate Development | Aug 2012 to Dec 2015 | Worked closely with scientific founding team during during first 18 months of Series A through recruitment of the CEO. Acquired by J&J in December 2015.
Novira, founded by senior ex-Merck scientists... |
| Achaogen | Board Observer | Nov 2010 to Mar 2014 | Board Observer until IPO in March 2014 (NASDAQ: AKAO).
Achaogen is a clinical-stage company developing treatments for the problem of life-threatening, drug-resistant infections. www.achaogen.com |
| Society of Kauffman Fellows | Kauffman Fellow, Class 16 | Jun 2011 to Jun 2013 | The Kauffman Fellows Program identifies, develops, and networks emerging global leaders in venture capital. Inspired by Ewing Marion Kauffman's legacy of promoting "economically independent individual... |
| Envoy Therapeutics, Inc. | Board Observer | May 2010 to Nov 2012 | Part of the lead team that drove and managed this investment ($8M Series A). It was acquired by Takeda in November 2012 for $140M.
Envoy Therapeutics was a platform CNS drug discovery company spun ou... |
| Cruz Blanca Initiative | Founder, President | Sep 2000 to Feb 2010 | Founded and ran an international development organization sponsoring infrastructure development (schools, clinics) for underserved communities in Eastern Mexico, while involving Princeton undergraduat... |
Education
Harvard Medical School
2002 — 2010
Harvard Business School
2010 — 2010
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2002 — 2010
Harvard University
2004 — 2008
Princeton University
1998 — 2002
Skills & Expertise
Others at 5am Venture Management, LLC (5)
| Name | Role | Location |
|---|---|---|
 | Analyst | San Francisco, CA , United States |
 | Partner | Los Angeles, CA , United States |
 | Senior Research Analyst | Boston, MA , United States |
K Katie Bodner | Analyst | Boston, MA , United States |
 | Principal | CA , United States |
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 | Principal | Crosslink Capital Inc. | CA , United States |
D Dane Lewis | Analyst | Crosslink Capital Inc. | San Francisco, CA , United States |
