Regeneron Genetics Center Fully Operational, Announces New Collaborations And Key Appointments

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

today announced that the Regeneron Genetics Center LLC (RGC), a wholly-owned subsidiary, has formed important new collaborations with leading academic institutions and has welcomed prominent experts into new leadership and advisory roles. To date, the RGC has sequenced de-identified samples from over 10,000 individuals, leveraging laboratory automation and an innovative approach to cloud computing to achieve high-quality throughput at a rate that exceeds 50,000 unique samples per year. The RGC has formed research collaborations with: Columbia University Medical Center, to study the genetic basis of familial diseases, such as inherited cardiometabolic diseases, familial cancer predisposition and rare genetic diseases; The Clinic for Special Children, to study the genetic basis of early onset and familial forms of pediatric disorders in Amish and Mennonite populations; and Baylor College of Medicine, to study the function of Mendelian disease genes discovered by the Baylor Center for Mendelian Genomics. The new collaborations, involving Mendelian family-based genetics research, build on the RGC's existing partnerships with the National Human Genome Research Institute's (NHGRI) Undiagnosed Diseases Program and the Geisinger Health System in large-scale family- and population-based genetics research. "These scientific collaborations represent the RGC's continued expansion into important areas of human genetics research," said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron and President of Regeneron Laboratories. "Simultaneously, we welcome some of the world's preeminent genetics experts to our team, ensuring that the RGC will continue to be at the forefront of genetics-based research and drug development." Additionally, Regeneron announced the appointment of Alan Shuldiner, M.D., as the Vice President of Translational Genetics. Dr. Shuldiner joins Regeneron from the University of Maryland School of Medicine where he served as the Division Head of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition and Associate Dean and Director of the Program for Personalized and Genomic Medicine. The RGC has also named Richard Lifton, M.D., Ph.D., as Chairman of its new Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Lifton is currently the Sterling Professor of Genetics, Professor of Medicine (Nephrology), and Chairman of the Department of Genetics at Yale University, as well as an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. In addition to Dr. Lifton, the RGC Scientific Advisory Board consists of seven prominent members of the genetics research community: Goncalo Abecasis, Ph.D., Chairman of the Department of Biostatistics and Felix E. Moore Collegiate Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Michigan; Wendy Chung, M.D., Ph.D., Herbert Irving Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Columbia University Medical Center; Peter Donnelly, Ph.D., Professor of Statistical Science and Director of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics; Tim Hunkapiller, Ph.D., President of Discovery Biosciences Corporation; Sekar Kathiresan, M.D., Director of Preventive Cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Associate Member in the Broad Institute's Program in Medical and Population Genetics, and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School; James R. Lupski, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc.(hon), Cullen Professor Molecular and Human Genetics at the Baylor College of Medicine; and Elaine Mardis, Ph.D., Robert E. and Louise F. Dunn Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Co-Director at the Genome Institute at the Washington University School of Medicine. "I'm excited to join the Regeneron Genetics Center at such a promising time for the field," said Dr. Lifton. "Regeneron's science-driven culture and track record of solving key R&D challenges uniquely positions the RGC to rapidly translate genetic discoveries into medical innovations and therapies that can truly help patients."