George D. Yancopoulos is co-Founder, co-Chair, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron, and widely recognized as one of the most successful entrepreneurs, scientists and drug discoverers in biotech history. 

As an entrepreneur, George co-founded and built Regeneron alongside long-time partner, Leonard S. Schleifer, into one of the world’s premier biotech companies – largely based on his unprecedented record of creating game-changing bio-technologies that have already delivered many important new medicines, all the way from discovery to patients.

As a scientist, George has been named among the ten most highly cited scientists in the world, making many significant discoveries – from defining underlying principles of antibody gene development, to identifying multiple new families of growth factors, to elucidating the fundamental principles of cytokine and interleukin receptor activation.

As a drug discoverer, George – along with key members of his team – is the principal inventor and developer of many of Regeneron’s 14 approved medicines and important foundational technologies. For example, he is principal inventor and developer of two of the world’s leading medicines – EYLEA® and Dupixent® – which have collectively helped millions fight blindness and diseases like asthma, atopic dermatitis and eosinophilic esophagitis. In terms of enabling technologies that have delivered these medicines, George’s inventions include TRAP (“Soluble Receptor”) technology, VelociGene® (high-throughput and mega-base-scale genetic-humanization technology) and VelocImmune®– a genetically-humanized mouse that efficiently delivers fully-human antibodies and bispecifics, from Dupixent® to Praluent® (first treatment targeting PCSK9 to lower LDL and heart disease), Libtayo® (leading treatment for non-melanoma skin cancers), Lynozyfic® (Bispecific treatment for myeloma) and the first “antibody cocktail” treatments for Ebola and Covid19.  In addition, George’s team at the Regeneron Genetics Center is emerging as world leaders in human sequencing, genetics-based target discovery and genetic medicines.

George is a first-generation Greek-American who grew up in NYC and attended public schools, graduating as valedictorian of both the Bronx High School of Science and Columbia University. Inspired by becoming a winner of the Westinghouse Science Talent Search as a high school student, George spearheads many of Regeneron’s STEM efforts to similarly engage the next generation of scientists – leading Regeneron to commit over $100 million to support the world’s leading high school science competitions, including the Regeneron Science Talent Search (formerly Westinghouse and Intel) and the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (formerly the Intel ISEF).  Remarkably, more than half the students in these competitions come from immigrant families, just as George did, contributing to America’s long history of uplifting immigrants like Einstein, Tesla, and Larmarr.

George has received numerous honors, including induction into the National Academy of Sciences and the Biotech Hall of Fame, and being named, E&Y's Entrepreneur of the Year.