Look into SKR's Curse of the Moon as a practical guide.
Also, if you have access to Dreamscarred Press' new Psionics Unleashed, the various metamorphosis powers provide basic, level-balanced options as well.
I have run half-orc afflicted lycanthrope (wolf)ninja (complete adventurer) from level 3 to 11. It has taken few years of gaming and two total rebuilds on the character. From ninja to scout and after last session we hit level 11 and I fully Pathfinderered him from 3,5 era. At low levels he was bit over the top, mostly because DR 5/silver and some ability bonuses. On other hand, because of the lost class level he was behind with hit points and skill points. Dont allow him to be natural lycanthrope: DR10/silver is just too strong until lvl 7-10 when enemies will be able to start damaging him / can strike trough the damage reduction with magical weapons.
Scout 6 (Complete Adventurer) and warshaper 3 (Complete Warrior Prestige) was pretty horrible, because he got even more ability bonuses and on top of that immunity to criticals and stun (and that is not all).
Now I have turned him in to full pathfinder barbarian (beast totem) 2 rogue 8 and it looks like fun and strong character to play with. Characters are at lvl 11 and I think 1 character level is still well worth sacrificing for the lycanthrope aspect. On other hand bonuses from lycanthropy have lost the edge they had on low levels.
On roleplay front, he really wishes to stay on wolf worm and with CHA 5 he look like badly beaten dog. He has little role on urban adventurers when he rarely can use the hybrid stance (in which he is most efficient). There is few civil places where he can be open about his secret (town called wolf's Ear in Varisia could be one), that is definitely another balancing factor.
I have got great help from my GM who has awarded the lycanthrope some control over his form and only tendency towards evil (not rallying him on forced blood frenzy while moon is full, well not after the first time at least;).
Overall; go for it! Tho, could be worth waiting till level two or three and get him afflicted just before others level up. His character level stays the same, but he can add the lycanthrope bonuses.
Look into SKR's Curse of the Moon as a practical guide.
Bingo. I can't resemble a shill enough here. While sadly I have to say that I'm not in SKR's employ - nor have I ever been - I have to strongly encourage anyone and everyone to buy this fine book. It's for the good of the universe.
Rise of the Runelords only goes to level 15 or so.
There is room to start the more standard characters at 3 or 4.
Expand the numbers and level of the bad guys, or even add hobgoblin team leaders.
If you start with a shipwreck start, the total lack of gear would make them more balence. The first group of Goblins like I added would have already found some weapons.
Your friend would be better playing a shifter from Eberron
Unless rewritten, all Were Foxes are female and can only infect elf girls. Also, I had a friend who played a Dwarven Were-Bear, and he was very unhappy when I told him he couldn't break alignment. There were no punishments, he just couldn't.
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I have a player who was inflicted with lycanthropy during the first book of Second Darkness. I am allowing her to use the 3 level wererat class progression from a Kobold Quarterly issue(It has wererat at 3 levels, werewolf at 4 levels and werebear at 8 levels) and having her roleplay the alignment shift from LN to LE.
The issue of Kobold Quarterly is #11 if you want to get the PDF and check it out. Issue #11
Did your GM clear you for using a lycanthrope? As the Bestiary says, it really isn't meant to be used as a way to power up your character, given the fact that he/she wouldn't have any control over their actions in their transformed state. Unless there's a special means by which you have achieved control? Just wondering.