Sol J. Barer

Dr. Barer is the Chief Executive Officer of Celgene, one of the world’s largest biotech companies. While at Celanese he founded the research and development group from which Celgene was created. His group developed pathbreaking techniques in chiral chemistry, including a better tolerated version of Ritalin, and, as Celgene, led to the use of thalidomide to treat leprosy and, it appears, multiple myeloma and other forms of cancer. Letters from David Baltimore, Joshua Lederberg, Jay Tischfield, and his colleagues at Celgene all emphasize the personal qualities that made him both a successful and an admirable leader.