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Westlake Village BioPartners Closes Two VC Funds Totaling $500m

Sean Harper/Beth Seidenberg-Helmed Firm Also Launches Acelyrin

 
• By Mandy Jackson

A $70m fund will back prior investments, while a $430m fund will launch new biotech firms. Harper and Seidenberg tapped into their Amgen connections for the CEO who helms new company Acelyrin.

Los Angeles-based Westlake said the only piece missing in LA's biotech hub previously was a local VC presence • Source: Shutterstock

Sean Harper left his role as head of Amgen, Inc. research and development two years ago to get involved in forming new biopharma companies with former Amgen colleague and venture capital veteran Beth Seidenberg – and the pair already have raised their second and third VC funds. They announced the two new funds totaling $500m on 15 December and the launch of new immunology-focused drug developer Acelyrin Inc., helmed by former Amgen scientist and AbbVie Inc. R&D executive Shao-Lee Lin.

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