Speaker Profile
Ph.D., Vice President, Genome Engineering Technologies and Skeletal Diseases Therapeutic Focus Area, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Biography
Dr. Aris N. Economides received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Michigan State University in 1992, and promptly joined Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. He currently holds the position of Vice President, leading two groups: Genome Engineering Technologies, and Skeletal Diseases Therapeutic Focus Area. In addition, he is a co-founder of Regeneron Genetics Center (RGC), where he is also Head of Functional Modeling. Dr. Economides co-invented Cytokine Traps, VelociGene®, and VelocImmune®, all part of an integrated methodology for target discovery, validation, and the generation of biologic drugs such as the IL1 and VEGF traps, as well as therapeutic antibodies. More recently, he has been developing a new method for Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT), one that addresses two of the main limitations of current ERT, namely immunogenicity and inefficient uptake by the tissues most affected in the corresponding Lysosomal Diseases. As part of his involvement with the RGC, Dr. Economides has been working to elucidate the molecular pathophysiology of genetically-driven disorders. An example is his work in Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, where he and his team discovered a novel mechanism that explains important aspects of FOP’s pathophysiology and pinpoints a new potential route to therapy.
