Napoleone Ferrara

Napoleone Ferrara is a Professor of Pathology at UC San Diego and a Venture Partner at Catalio Capital, based in San Diego, California. After completing his initial medical studies in Catania, Italy, and conducting postdoctoral research at UCSF, he joined Genentech as a researcher in 1988. During his extensive tenure at the company, he successfully isolated and cloned Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), subsequently developing the first anti-VEGF monoclonal antibodies. This foundational scientific research directly enabled the creation of two major blockbuster drugs: Avastin for various cancers and Lucentis for wet age-related macular degeneration. Today, he leverages his deep clinical expertise to evaluate emerging biotechnology and medical device investments across the healthcare sector for Catalio Capital. Ferrara maintains a dual focus on advancing academic vascular biology research and guiding early-stage healthtech ventures toward successful clinical commercialization.