David Grainger

Reared in England, Grainger graduated with degree in Natural Sciences (Biochemistry) from Cambridge University in 1989, and a PhD in Vascular Cell Biology from the same institution in 1992.{{cite web |title= BusinessWeek profile: David Grainger |url= http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=28066856&privcapId=28033081&previousCapId=241734400&previousTitle=XO1+Ltd |archive-url= https://archive.today/20140118191729/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=28066856&privcapId=28033081&previousCapId=241734400&previousTitle=XO1+Ltd |url-status= dead |archive-date= 18 January 2014 }}

After receiving his PhD, Grainger undertook post-doctoral research in the British Heart Foundation Smooth Muscle Cell laboratory at Cambridge University.{{cite news |title= Heart Disease Breakthrough Claimed|url= http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Heart-disease+breakthrough+claimed.-a094659573|work= Nature Medicine|date= November 25, 2002}} Following publications in Nature{{cite journal | vauthors = Grainger DJ, Kemp PR, Liu AC, Lawn RM, Metcalfe JC | title = Activation of transforming growth factor-beta is inhibited in transgenic apolipoprotein(a) mice | journal = Nature | volume = 370 | issue = 6489 | pages = 460–2 | year = 1994 | pmid = 8047165 | doi = 10.1038/370460a0 | bibcode = 1994Natur.370..460G | s2cid = 4318812 }} and elsewhere{{Cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.cardiores.2007.02.022|pmid=17382916|title= TGF-β and atherosclerosis in man|year=2007|last1=Grainger |first1=David | journal=Cardiovascular Research|volume=74 |issue=2|pages=213–22|doi-access=free}} setting out his Protective Cytokine Hypothesis explaining the role of the cytokine TGF-beta 1 in the cardiovascular system,{{cite journal|author=Grainger DJ |title=Transforming growth factor beta and atherosclerosis: so far, so good for the protective cytokine hypothesis |journal=Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. |volume=24 |issue= 3 |pages= 399–404 |year= 2005 |pmid= 14699019 |doi= 10.1161/01.ATV.0000114567.76772.33 |doi-access= free }} Grainger was appointed principal investigator in the Department of Medicine at his alma mater, Cambridge University, in 1997.{{cite news |title= Index Ventures backs novel anticoagulant|url= https://www.pharmatching.com/inforena/index-ventures-backs-novel-anticoagulant|work= Mednous|date= June 17, 2013}}

While at Cambridge University, Grainger founded life sciences companies including FingerPrint Diagnostics (2001),{{cite news |title= Cambridge merger creates Pronostics|url= http://www.newsrx.com/newsletters/Biotech-Business-Week/2006-08-07/08072006333223BB.html|work=Biotech Business week|date= August 7, 2006}} and Funxional Therapeutics (2005).{{cite news |title= Boehringer Ingelheim acquires Funxional products

|url= http://www.thepharmaletter.com/article/boehringer-ingelheim-acquires-funxional-products

|work= thepharmaletter|date= July 24, 2012}} FingerPrint Diagnostics merged with SmartBead Technologies to form Pronostics, a molecular diagnostics company, in 2006.{{cite news |title= Revolutionary Coronary Test Ends Heartache for Patients and NHS|url= http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/biomedtech-/10696-revolutionary-coronary-test-ends-heartache-for-patients-and-nhs|work= BusinessWeekly|date= January 31, 2007}} Funxional Therapeutics, based on an anti-inflammatory drug candidate spun-out from Grainger's Cambridge University lab, became an Index Ventures portfolio company where Grainger also served as chief scientific officer until it was sold to Boehringer Ingelheim in 2012.{{cite news |title= Boehringer buys PhII respiratory drug program

|url= http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/boehringer-buys-phii-respiratory-drug-program/2012-07-23

|work= FierceBiotech|date= July 23, 2012}}

Grainger joined Index Ventures in 2012,{{cite news |title= Is Big Pharma Learning from Its Late-Stage R&D Setbacks?|url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonking/2013/06/07/is-big-pharma-learning-from-its-late-stage-rd-setbacks/ |work=Forbes.com|date= June 7, 2013}} and a blogger on topics related to the pharmaceutical industry under the pen name “DrugBaron”.{{cite news |title= To Save Pharma R&D, David Grainger Says Drug Developers Must Think Like CEOs Of Lean Startups|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidshaywitz/2013/12/14/to-save-pharma-rd-david-grainger-says-drug-developers-must-think-like-ceos-of-lean-startups/ |work= Forbes.com |date= December 14, 2013}} where he was involved with funding and advising a variety of companies, including XO1,{{cite news |title= XO1 Cracks Coagulation Conundrum, Raises $11M

|url= http://www.bioworld.com/content/x01-cracks-coagulation-conundrum-raises-11m-0|work= BioWorld News|date= June 16, 2013}} a biotech company developing an anticoagulant, where he served as chairman and interim CEO before it was sold to Johnson & Johnson{{cite news |title= XO1 Raises $11M From Index Ventures to Develop Anticoagulant Drug

|url= https://pevc.dowjones.com/Article?an=DJFVW00020130617e96harase&cid=32135016&ctype=ts&pid=32&ReturnUrl=https%3a%2f%2fpevc.dowjones.com%2fArticle%3fan%3dDJFVW00020130617e96harase%26cid%3d32135016%26ctype%3dts%26pid%3d32|work= Dow Jones|date= June 17, 2013}}{{cite news |title= Index Ventures Invests $11 Million on Clot-Busting Drug

|url= https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-16/index-ventures-invests-11-million-on-clot-busting-drug.html|work= Bloomberg News|date= June 16, 2013}}{{cite news |title= Venture capitalists ride biotech wave one drug at a time |url= https://www.reuters.com/article/biotech-funding-idUSL6N0WT3XX20150410|work= Reuters|date= April 10, 2015}} He co-founded medicxi in February 2016 with fellow former Index Ventures partners Francesco De Rubertis, Kevin Johnson and Michele Ollier.{{cite news |title= J&J and GSK join Medicxi's European life sciences push |url= http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/10e91eac-c921-11e5-be0b-b7ece4e953a0.html#axzz3yzLTOazH |work= FT |date= February 2, 2016}}

Grainger has co-authored a number of papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals,{{cite web |title= Google Scholar search: David J. Grainger |url= https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=david+j+grainger&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C7 }} including Nature, Science{{Cite journal|doi=10.1126/science.8503012 |title=Proliferation of human smooth muscle cells promoted by lipoprotein(a) |year=1993 |last1=Grainger |first1=D.J. |journal=Science |volume=260 |issue=5114|pages=1655–1658 |pmid=8503012 |bibcode=1993Sci...260.1655G }} and Nature Medicine.{{Cite journal|doi=10.1038/nm1202-802 |title=Rapid and noninvasive diagnosis of the presence and severity of coronary heart disease using 1H-NMR-based metabonomics

|year=2002|last1=Brindle|first1=Joanne|journal=Nature Medicine|volume=8|issue=12|pages=1439–1444

|pmid=12447357

|s2cid=8676147

}}

Grainger formerly blogged under the pen name “DrugBaron” on a range of topics related to the pharmaceutical industry,{{cite web |title= DrugBaron site|url= http://www.drugbaron.com}} and now has a column on similar topics on Forbes.com.

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.medicxiventures.com medicxi website]
• [http://www.indexventures.com Index Ventures website]
• [http://www.methuselah-health.com Methuselah Health website]
• {{Twitter}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Grainger, David}}

Category:1966 births

Category:Living people

Category:British venture capitalists

Category:20th-century British scientists

Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge

Category:People from Lincolnshire

Category:21st-century British scientists