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Aris N. Economides, Ph.D. (he/him/his)

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Tarrytown, NY, United States

I received my BA in 1986 from Bennington College (double major in Mathematics and Natural Sciences & Music), and my Ph.D. in 1992 from Michigan State University (Biochemistry). I joined Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in 1992 as a postdoctoral fellow. My research has focused on the discovery of drug target discovery and validation, and the development of biologic drugs. I co-invented Cytokine Traps (PMID 12483208), which resulted into two approved drugs: ARCALYST (rilonacept), and EYLEA (aflibercept). This method was also utilized to engineer an interleukin 4 and interleukin 13 ‘dual’ trap, setting the stage for the development of a monoclonal antibody (Dupixitent) for TH2-driven autoimmune indications.
I have participated in the development of methods for discovery and validation of potential drug targets, co-inventing VelociGene and VelocImmune, two related technology platforms which evolved into an integrated methodology for target discovery, validation, and generation of biologics. In 2010, I cofounded Regeneron Genetics Center (RGC), which utilizes human genetics to inform target discovery, patient stratification, and biomarker discovery. RGC has sequenced more than 3,000,000 people and has delivered multiple candidate drug targets, including two already resulted approved therapeutics.
A parallel focus of my work has been the study of Rare Diseases, aiming to uncover key molecular mechanisms and developing disease modifying drugs. A recent example is the development of an anti-Activin A monoclonal antibody (garetosmab) in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), which emanated from our discovery that the mechanism by which the most clinically important pathology in FOP – Heterotopic Ossification – is driven by Activin A. Lastly, my team developed a new method for Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT), that addresses two main limitations of current ERT, immunogenicity and inefficient uptake by need-to-treat tissues in Lysosomal Diseases (PMID 34400331). This work precipitated the formation of a new Therapeutic Focus Area devoted to Enzyme Replacement Therapy.

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