Vie Ventures, a life sciences venture capital firm focused on autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases, announced that Jeff Bluestone, PhD, has been named Managing Director. He joins founders Steven St. Peter, MD, and Luke Evnin, PhD, who also serve as Managing Directors, as well as Lou DeGennaro, PhD, Senior Advisor. The firm said its leadership team brings complementary expertise spanning venture capital, immunology, biotech company building, and patient-focused philanthropy.
Dr. Bluestone is described as a world-renowned immunologist and biotech leader whose work has shaped modern understanding of immune regulation, tolerance, and translational immunology. His career includes academic research, leadership of translational research networks, and company building focused on immune-based therapies.
Over several decades, Dr. Bluestone has contributed to translating foundational immunology into approved medicines. His accomplishments include defining key aspects of CD3 signaling and immune modulation, creating teplizumab, the first FDA-approved therapy shown to delay the onset of type 1 diabetes, and informing therapies targeting T-cell co-stimulation and immune checkpoints. He previously served as founding Director of the Immune Tolerance Network and founding CEO of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and most recently co-founded and led Sonoma Biotherapeutics, a company focused on engineered regulatory T-cell therapies. He has also held senior leadership roles at the University of California, San Francisco, including Diabetes Center Director and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, and is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Vie Ventures said it works closely with a growing network of strategic collaborators, including disease-focused nonprofit organizations that contribute scientific insight, patient perspective, and development expertise to help inform investment decisions and accelerate the path from discovery to patients. These collaborators include the American Diabetes Association, Arthritis Foundation, Beyond Celiac, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, Food Allergy Fund, Immune Boost Capital / Arthritis National Research Foundation, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Psoriasis Foundation, Scleroderma Research Foundation, and the Sjögren’s Foundation.
The firm positions itself at the intersection of venture capital and disease philanthropy, investing alongside other venture capital investors and strategic partners in private biotech companies developing novel therapeutics for autoimmune disease and other immune system disorders.
KEY QUOTES:
“Jeff is a rare combination of scientific rigor, a translational medicine focus, and collaborative leadership. Luke and I have each worked with Jeff in different professional contexts over many years, and we have tremendous respect for how he thinks about biology, patients, and risk. His decision to join Vie reflects a shared belief that the next generation of autoimmune therapies will require tighter integration between science, capital, and patient communities.”
Steven St. Peter, MD, Founder And Managing Director, Vie Ventures
“I have spent my career working at the intersection of discovery science, clinical translation, and patient need. Vie Ventures brings those elements together in a way that is both scientifically ambitious and operationally disciplined. I am excited to join Steven and Luke in advancing a model designed to accelerate the development of innovative therapies by leveraging shared biology and collaborative insight.”
Jeff Bluestone, PhD, Managing Director, Vie Ventures
“Jeff’s career has been defined by translating deep immunology insights into real therapies for patients. His experience building scientific organizations and guiding translational strategy strengthens Vie Ventures’ ability to identify and support companies that can make meaningful impact across multiple autoimmune conditions, particularly by focusing on shared biological drivers across indications.”
Luke Evnin, PhD, Founder And Managing Director, Vie Ventures
