George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., has been instrumental in Regeneron's success since its inception in 1989, holding the roles of board co-chair, president, and chief scientific officer. A top winner of the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, now the Regeneron Science Talent Search, Yancopoulos began his career at Columbia University under Frederick W. Alt. He then co-founded Regeneron with Leonard S. Schleifer, M.D., Ph.D., and has since led the development of pivotal medicines like Eylea®, Eylea® HD, and Dupixent®. His leadership also brought forth Praluent®, Libtayo®, and the first antibody cocktail treatments for Ebola and COVID-19. Yancopoulos’s team has pioneered significant technologies, including the VelociGene “knockout” platform, VelocImmune® human antibody mouse, and Veloci-Bi® bispecific antibody creation platform.
Yancopoulos continues to advance scientific research through the Regeneron Genetics Center®, which has sequenced the exomes of over two million individuals to identify new treatment options. He actively participates in Regeneron's STEM education and mentorship initiatives, which include a $100 million commitment to the Regeneron Science Talent Search, in order to foster the development of future scientists. Yancopoulos's contributions to science have been recognized with his induction into the National Academy of Sciences in 2004 and the Biotech Hall of Fame in 2014, along with being named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016 alongside Schleifer.