George B. Rathmann, winner of the 1999 Biotechnology Heritage Award, has been widely acclaimed as one of the founding fathers of the modern biotechnology industry, guiding several biotech companies to market success. Rathmann was a leader at Amgen in Thousand Oaks, California, serving as chairman, president, and CEO from its inception in 1980 to 1988, and as chairman from 1988 to 1990. Today Amgen is the largest independent biotechnology firm in the world. He has also been chairman of the board, CEO, and president of ICOS Corporation in Seattle; under his leadership ICOS was the fastest-growing high-tech company in Washington State in the 1990s.
Rathmann is known for his contributions to the development at Amgen of Epogen, a red blood cell stimulant and billion-dollar drug that has provided huge benefits to dialysis patients, and Neopogen, which stimulates production of white blood cells in the bone marrow of chemotherapy patients. He also contributed to the development of numerous tests to detect pregnancy and certain diseases in early stages, and to the development of Scotchgard, one of 3M’s most successful products. He is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Chemical Society, and the National Academy of Engineering. He also serves on the boards of the National Science and Technology Medal Foundation, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the Keystone Center, PhRMA, Somatogen, and Zymogenetics Inc. Since 1982 he has served as an officer and board member of the Biotechnology Industry Organization and was chairman from 1986 to 1988.
