Henri A. Termeer To Receive 2008 Biotechnology Heritage Award

Main Category: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 16 Jun 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) will present the ninth annual Biotechnology Heritage Award to Henri A. Termeer, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Genzyme Corporation. Termeer guided Genzyme from an entrepreneurial start-up to a billion-dollar success developing new treatments for rare genetic diseases around the world. The award will be presented at the 2008 BIO International Convention in San Diego at a keynote luncheon on Tuesday, June 17.

"Genzyme develops and delivers treatments to those who suffer genetic diseases anywhere in the world," said James C. Greenwood, president and CEO of BIO. "Henri Termeer combines brilliance in biotechnology research with entrepreneurial vision. Termeer and Genzyme are an inspiration to us all."

About Henri A. Termeer

Henri A. Termeer was appointed president of Genzyme Corporation in 1983, two years after the company's founding. He became its chief executive officer in 1985 and chairman in 1988. Under his leadership, Genzyme has grown from a modest entrepreneurial venture to one of the world's leading biotechnology companies. In 2007, Genzyme was chosen to receive the National Medal of Technology, the highest honor awarded by the President of the United States for technological innovation.

Termeer is recognized as a pioneer in developing and delivering treatments to patients with rare genetic diseases around the world. This work has provided the foundation for Genzyme's success, and today the company is diversified across medical areas including lysosomal storage disorders, kidney disease, orthopaedics, cancer, transplant and immune diseases, and diagnostic testing. Widely acknowledged for his contributions to the biotechnology industry and health care field, Mr. Termeer is active in the areas of humanitarian assistance, policy issues, and innovation in providing access to health care.

About the Biotechnology Heritage Award

The Biotechnology Heritage Award is presented yearly at a special ceremony during the BIO International Convention to honor individuals who have contributed significantly to the growth of biotechnology through discovery, innovation, commercialization, and/or public understanding. In honoring these individuals, the Chemical Heritage Foundation and the Biotechnology Industry Organization seek to encourage emulation, inspire achievement, and promote public understanding of modern science, industry, and economics in this rapid-growth area.

The award complements the mission of both organizations by advancing their mutual goals of educating the public, nourishing a sense of pride and community within the industry, and developing the record of the remarkable contributions the molecular sciences make to our lives. Previous award winners include Ron Cape, Paul Berg, Herbert W. Boyer, Francis S. Collins, Walter Gilbert, Leroy Hood, George B. Rathmann, William J. Rutter, Phillip A. Sharp, Robert A. Swanson, J. Craig Venter and Alejandro Zaffaroni.

About the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)

BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world's largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.

About the Chemical Heritage Foundation

The Chemical Heritage Foundation serves the community of the chemical and molecular sciences, and the wider public, by treasuring the past, educating the present, and inspiring the future. CHF carries out a program of outreach and interpretation in order to advance an understanding of the role of the chemical and molecular sciences, technologies, and industries in shaping society; maintains a world-class collection of materials that document the history and heritage of the chemical and molecular sciences, technologies, and industries; and encourages research in its collections.

Biotechnology Industry Organization