Future of the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries

Dr. Roy Vagelos was CEO of Merck from 1984 to 1994, where he attracted research scientists who developed many major new drugs. In addition to his business accomplishments, Vagelos is the author of more than 100 scientific papers and is the co-author of several books including Medicine, Science and Merck, published by Cambridge University Press in 2004. Vagelos' research on the role of the acyl carrier protein in fatty acid synthesis is described in The Journal of Biological Chemistry. At Penn, Dr. Vagelos has served on the board of trustees from 1988 until 1999, of which he was chair from 1995 to 1999.

Vagelos is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. He received the American Chemical Society's Enzyme Chemistry Award in 1967, the National Academy of Science's Chemistry in Service to Society Award in 1995 and was inducted into the National Business Hall of Fame in 1995. In 1998, the School of Arts and Sciences bestowed upon him its Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition of his lifetime achievements in the sciences and humanities, and in 1999 he was honored by the Franklin Institute with the Bower Award for Business Leadership for his role in eradicating river blindness.

The current philanthropic activities of Dr. Vagelos are rich and varied and continue to span academia through medicine to industry. He has donated generously to the University of Pennsylvania, with many important programs and even a building bearing his name.

The luncheon is at 12:00 noon on Thursday, May 17, 2012 in the Hourglass Room of the University Club.