Influential Leaders of the Pharmaceutical Industry

The pharmaceutical industry has experienced major growth in the past few decades, as research and development has greatly improved. The industry’s technological advances have brought our society a variety of new and specialized products. However, these advances did not happen on their own; innovative leaders were needed to lead these developments. For innovation and science discovery, a notable leader of the industry is recent Nobel Prize winner and biologist Sir Martin Evans. Evans is noted for his work and research, along with biologist Matthew Kaufmann, on embryonic stem cell isolation in 1980. In 2008, he, along with Mario Capecchi and Oliver Smithies, were awarded for their discoveries in genetic modification by inserting re-modified cells into female mice in order to create offspring with explicit gene modifications. His contributions have led to further research in treatment for genetic disorders (Evans). Another influential leader in the pharmaceutical industry is geneticist Doctor Francis Collins. Collins’ role has spurred some debate amongst some scientists, as Collins is a practicing Christian, which seems to conflict with the duties and morals of a scientist.  However, his work has led him to become the current director of the National Institutes of Health, sworn in in 2009 (Collins). While these discoveries greatly improved R&D, another important aspect of the pharmaceutical industry is philanthropy, or meaningful ways of improving the community and environment by performing charitable efforts. Some of the most well-known leaders of this are Bill and Melinda Gates, founders of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This foundation was created in order to promote world health, along with education and community giving. Recently, this foundation has worked to improve ways for developing countries to access vaccines (Gates Foundation). From researching leaders in the pharmaceutical industry, it has become evident that many prominent leaders of the industry do not just come from scientific research and innovation, but also from philanthropy and business.

Collins. Francis Collins – The 25 most influential people in biopharma today. Retrieved from
http://www.fiercebiotech.com/special-reports/25-most-influential-people-biopharma- today/francis-collins-25-most-influential-peopl.
Evans. Superstars of Science- Sir Martin J. Evans. Retrieved from
http://superstarsofscience.com/scientist/sir-martin-j-evans.
Gates Foundation. Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Overview. Retrieved from
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/vaccines/Pages/overview.aspx.