Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Lytton leaves Oxford Bioscience for Biogen role

By Mass High Tech staff

Venture capitalist Michael E. Lytton has left Oxford Bioscience Partners to take on the role of executive vice president, business and corporate development at Cambridge-based biotech Biogen Idec Inc., according to the company.

Lytton has been a general partner at Oxford Bioscience since 2001, focusing on emerging life sciences companies. Among his recent fundings are Molecular Biometrics LLC, Xanthus Pharmaceuticals Inc. of Cambridge and Claros Diagnostics Inc.

Douglas Fambrough, general partner at Oxford, said that Lytton was heavily recruited by Biogen and, “absent that specific opportunity, would have continued at Oxford. In that sense it was a surprise. We’ve done deals together and I’m disappointed he’s leaving.”

On the other hand, he noted that Lytton sits on a board with a Biogen Idec executive, and this is an opportunity to have a “big job running corporate development and it’s a very interesting time. It’s something he’s (Lytton) excited to take on.” Fambrough also noted that Lytton’s departure didn’t signal any major changes for Oxford, and the two-decade-old firm would continue to invest in the life sciences and manage its portfolio.

From 1993 to 2000, Lytton was partner, chairman of the technology group and a member of the executive committee of Boston law firm Palmer & Dodge LLP, now called Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge.

Lytton graduated from Princeton University and studied at the University of London under a Fulbright Scholarship. He has a master’s degree in epidemiology and medical statistics from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.