Inaugural Eyecelerator Innovation Award
Leonard S. Schleifer, MD, PhD
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Co-Founder, Board Co-Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer, Regeneron
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Leonard S. Schleifer, MD, PhD, founded Regeneron in 1988, and serves as Board Co-Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Schleifer, together with Chief Scientific Officer George Yancopoulos, MD, PhD, has built the company from a tiny startup into one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies. Regeneron’s ability to repeatedly and consistently translate science into medicine has led to twelve FDA-approved or authorized treatments and numerous product candidates in development, nearly all of which were homegrown in its laboratories. Dr. Schleifer has been recognized as a 2020 Businessperson of the Year by Fortune, one of Barron’s Best CEOs, a Yale School of Management Legend in Leadership, and as E&Y’s Life Sciences Entrepreneur of the Year. Dr. Schleifer attended Cornell University and earned his MD and PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Virginia. He is a licensed physician, certified in Neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. In 2019, he was elected as a Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
George D. Yancopoulos, MD, PhD
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Co-Founder, Board Co-Chair, President and Chief Scientific Officer, Regeneron
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George D. Yancopoulos, MD, PhD, Co-Founder, Board Co-Chair, President, and Chief Scientific Officer, has built and managed Regeneron alongside Dr. Leonard Schleifer since 1989. Dr. Yancopoulos, along with key members of his team, is the principal inventor of Regeneron’s twelve FDA-approved or authorized medicines and important foundational technologies, including the TRAP technology, VelociGene®, and VelocImmune®. He has been named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and has been pivotal in creating the science-driven, collaborative, and highly productive R&D culture at Regeneron. This unique environment has earned the company widespread recognition, including repeatedly being named as a “top workplace for innovators” by Fast Company magazine and consistent inclusion in Science magazine’s list of Top Employers. Dr. Yancopoulos was the 11th most highly cited scientist in the world in the 1990s, and in 2004 he was elected to be a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Yancopoulos attended the Bronx High School of Science and received his MD and PhD from Columbia University.​
This year's Eyecelerator Innovation Award honors the remarkable physician-led, science-driven innovation that has significantly advanced the field of medicine.
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The award celebrates Drs. Schleifer and Yancopoulos for their visionary leadership, perseverance in the face of challenges, and commitment to teamwork. Their groundbreaking contributions to ophthalmology and medicine have not only pushed the boundaries of what is possible but have also earned the deep respect and admiration of their peers and innovators worldwide. Their work has made a profound and lasting impact on patient lives globally.
- Allen C. Ho, MD
Eyecelerator Retina Program Director