Arie S. Belldegrun (born 1949),
FACS, is an
Israeli-American
, native_name_lang =
, image =
, caption =
, population = 110,000–150,000
, popplace = New York metropolitan area, Los Angeles metropolitan area, Miami metropolitan area, and other large metropolitan are ...
urologic
Urology (from Ancient Greek, Greek wikt:οὖρον, οὖρον ''ouron'' "urine" and ''wiktionary:-logia, -logia'' "study of"), also known as genitourinary surgery, is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of t ...
oncologist
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...
, billionaire businessman and investor.
Early life and education
Belldegrun was born in
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
, Israel. He received his medical degree from the
Hadassah Medical Center
Hadassah Medical Center ( he, הָמֶרְכָּז הָרְפוּאִי הֲדַסָּה) is an Israeli medical organization established in 1934 that operates two university hospitals in Jerusalem – one in Ein Karem and one in Mount Scopus –, ...
at
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; he, הַאוּנִיבֶרְסִיטָה הַעִבְרִית בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם) is a public research university based in Jerusalem, Israel. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Dr. Chaim Weiz ...
in 1974, and conducted his post-graduate studies at the
Weizmann Institute of Science
The Weizmann Institute of Science ( he, מכון ויצמן למדע ''Machon Vaitzman LeMada'') is a public research university in Rehovot, Israel, established in 1934, 14 years before the State of Israel. It differs from other Israeli unive ...
in 1979.
["Curriculum Vitae"]
''InfoFAQ'', July 2007. Retrieved on 22 June 2013. He completed his urologic surgery
residency
Residency may refer to:
* Domicile (law), the act of establishing or maintaining a residence in a given place
** Permanent residency, indefinite residence within a country despite not having citizenship
* Residency (medicine), a stage of postgrad ...
at
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...
in 1985, and his Surgical Oncology
fellowship
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
at the
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ...
in 1988.
He is certified by the ''American Board of Urology'', and is a fellow of the ''American College of Surgeons'' and the ''American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons''.
["Dr. Arie S. Belldegrun, MD, FACS Joins Two River Group Holdings as Chairman and Partner"]
''Reuters''. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2013. Belldegrun is the director of the
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
Institute of Urologic Oncology, professor of urology, and chief of the Division of Urologic Oncology at the
David Geffen School of Medicine
The University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine—known as the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (DGSOM)—is an accredited medical school located in Los Angeles, California, United States. The school was renamed in 2001 in ...
.
["Arie Belldegrun, M.D."]
''USRF''. Retrieved on 23 June 2013.
Career
In 1996, Belldegrun established his first company, Agensys, which was an early-stage privately held
biotechnology
Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used b ...
company based in Los Angeles. The company was focused on the development of fully human
monoclonal antibodies
A monoclonal antibody (mAb, more rarely called moAb) is an antibody produced from a cell Lineage made by cloning a unique white blood cell. All subsequent antibodies derived this way trace back to a unique parent cell.
Monoclonal antibodies ca ...
to treat solid tumor cancers in a variety of cancer targets. He served as its founding chairman of the board of directors from 1996 to 2002, and then as a director. In December 2007, Agensys was acquired by
Astellas Pharma
is a Japanese multinational pharmaceutical company, formed on 1 April 2005 from the merger of and . On February 5, 2020, the company announced management changes effective from April 1, 2020.
Astellas is a member of the Mitsubishi UFJ Finan ...
in a deal valued at US$537 million.
In 2003, Belldegrun became the founding vice-chairman of the board of directors and chairman of the scientific advisory board of Cougar Biotechnology; the company had a focus in the field of oncology. In July 2009, Cougar Biotechnology was acquired by
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is an American multinational corporation founded in 1886 that develops medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company i ...
in a $970 million transaction. In April 2011, the
United States Food and Drug Administration
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food s ...
approved abiraterone acetate (Zytiga), Cougar's lead product, for late-stage prostate cancer.
In 2008, Belldegrun became the chairman and partner o
Two River a New York-based
venture capital
Venture capital (often abbreviated as VC) is a form of private equity financing that is provided by venture capital firms or funds to startups, early-stage, and emerging companies that have been deemed to have high growth potential or which ha ...
firm and
merchant bank
A merchant bank is historically a bank dealing in commercial loans and investment. In modern British usage it is the same as an investment bank. Merchant banks were the first modern banks and evolved from medieval merchants who traded in commodi ...
focused on the
life science
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy t ...
sector. Two River specializes in investments in life science,
biotechnology
Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used b ...
, and in firms focused on developing preventative and
therapeutic
A therapy or medical treatment (often abbreviated tx, Tx, or Tx) is the attempted remediation of a health problem, usually following a medical diagnosis.
As a rule, each therapy has indications and contraindications. There are many different ...
technologies for a broad spectrum of disease areas including
oncology
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...
,
cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, h ...
,
neurological disorders
A neurological disorder is any disorder of the nervous system. Structural, biochemical or electrical abnormalities in the brain, spinal cord or other nerves can result in a range of symptoms. Examples of symptoms include paralysis, muscle weakness ...
, and companion animal health care.
Belldegrun is the founder, chairman, president and CEO of
Kite Pharma
Kite Pharma is an American biotechnology company that develops cancer immunotherapy products, with a primary focus on genetically engineered autologous CAR T cell therapy, a cell-based therapy which relies on chimeric antigen receptors and T ce ...
. Although founded in 2009, the company went public in June 2014. Based in
Santa Monica
Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...
, Kite Pharma is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of novel cancer immunotherapy products with a primary focus on engineered autologous T cell therapy (eACT) designed to restore the immune system's ability to recognize and eradicate tumors. On August 28, 2017,
Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences, Inc. () is an American biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Foster City, California, that focuses on researching and developing antiviral drugs used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, influenza, and CO ...
announced that it would acquire Kite Pharma for $11.9 billion in an all-cash deal, equating to $180 cash per share. The deal added
CAR-T
In biology, chimeric antigen receptors (CARs)—also known as chimeric immunoreceptors, chimeric T cell receptors or artificial T cell receptors—are receptor proteins that have been engineered to give T cells the new ability to target a specific ...
candidate to Gilead's existing portfolio. The acquisition was completed in October 2017. In October 2017, Kite Pharma's therapy, Yescarta (
axicabtagene ciloleucel
Axicabtagene ciloleucel, sold under the brand name Yescarta, is a medication used for the treatment for large B-cell lymphoma that has failed conventional treatment. T cells are removed from a person with lymphoma and genetically engineered to p ...
) became the first CAR-T therapy approved by the FDA for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy.
In 2017, Belldegrun became the co-founder and senior managing director o
Vida Ventures a Boston-based life sciences investment firm that consists of scientists, physicians, entrepreneurs, and investors passionate about building and funding breakthroughs in biomedicine. Vida Ventures has a bicoastal presence. In June 2021, Vida Ventures closed its third fund (Vida Ventures III) with $825 million. Vida Ventures currently has approximately $1.7 billion in assets under management.
In 2017, Belldegrun co-founded and serves as the executive chairman of
Allogene Therapeutics, a San Francisco-based biotechnology company. Allogene has raised $300 in Series A fundraising, and $120 million in a private financing round. On October 11, 2018, Allogene Therapeutics raised $324 million in an initial public offering on the NASDAQ, listing under the ticker "ALLO".
In July 2019, it was reported tha
Bellco Capital Belldegrun's family office, has entered into a joint venture with
Tishman Speyer
Tishman Speyer Properties is an American company that invests in real estate.
History
The firm was founded in 1978 by Robert Tishman and Jerry Speyer.
In March 1988, the company announced its first project in Europe, the construction of a 70-s ...
to star
Breakthrough Properties Belldegrun serves as the co-chairman, while his son, Dan, is the company's CEO. The company purchased its first property in Boston's Seaport District for $80 million.
["Tishman Speyer and Bellco Capital Launch Breakthrough Properties, a First-of-Its-Kind Global Life Sciences Real Estate Platform"]
''BusinessWire''. 16 July 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2019. In November 2020, Breakthrough Properties closed its first fund (Breakthrough Life Science Property Fund) with $1 billion.
In May 2021, it was reported that Belldegrun's Bellco Capital is co-sponsoring the $2.5 billion merger of
Ginkgo Bioworks
Ginkgo Bioworks is an American biotech company founded in 2008 by five scientists from MIT, headed by Jason Kelly. The company specializes in using genetic engineering to produce bacteria with industrial applications. Ginkgo Bioworks is an analyt ...
with Soaring Eagle Acquisition Corp. (a
SPAC), with a pre-money valuation of $15 billion. Ginkgo Bioworks is now trading on the NYSE under the ticker "DNA". Belldegrun serves on the board of directors of Ginkgo Bioworks.
Belldegrun also serves on the board of directors of Kronos Bio, Fosun Kite, UroGen Pharma, Pontifax, ByHeart and IconOVir Bio.
["Arie S Belldegrun"]
''Bloomberg''. Retrieved 26 October 2021. In the past, he served on the board of directors of
Teva Pharmaceuticals
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (also known as Teva Pharmaceuticals) is an Israeli multinational pharmaceutical company with headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel. It specializes primarily in generic drugs, but other business interests include ...
, Cell Design Labs, Arno Therapeutics, SonaCare Medical, Roei Medical Technologies, Oncura, Nile Therapeutics, Hana Biosciences, Paramount Acquisition Corp and Chem Rx Corp.
Personal life
Belldegrun is married to
Rebecka Belldegrun
Rebecka Belldegrun (born 1950), is a Finnish-born Israeli-American ophthalmologist, billionaire businesswoman and investor.
Early life and education
Belldegrun was born in Helsinki, Finland to Pola and Shlomo Zabludowicz. Her younger brother ...
and together they have four children.
They reside in
Bel Air, Los Angeles.
In 2014, according to the ''Bloomberg Pay Index'', Belldegrun was ranked the 8th highest-paid executive in the United States, with a pay package valued at $95.2 million. In 2015,
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
's annual ''Hollywood's Top Doctors'' list included Belldegrun as one of the highest-rated urologists.
In 2021, in its annual ranking of the wealthiest people in Israel, ''Forbes Israel'' ranked Arie and Rebecka Belldegrun 36th with a personal net worth of $1.75 billion. They have donated over $1 million to the
University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences
The University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences (also known as SAS) is the academic institution encompassing the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences at the University of Pennsylvania.
Formerly known as the Faculty of A ...
, and have donated a $5 million sculpture to
LACMA
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Page Museum).
LACMA was founded in 1961, ...
.
Belldegrun was featured in the 2017–2021 editions of the LA500-LA's Most Influential People, compiled by the ''
Los Angeles Business Journal
The ''Los Angeles Business Journal'', established in 1979, is a weekly newspaper and online news source in Los Angeles, California, which provides coverage of local business news. According to the ''Journals website, it has a weekly print circul ...
'', and has been named Business Leader of the Year for 2018 in the Health Care category for a life dedicated to finding cures for cancer. He was also featured in the ''CEO Today USA Awards 2017'' which celebrate the success, innovation and strategic vision of CEOs across a number of sectors, industries within the US, identifying the most successful, innovative and forward-thinking CEOs in business today. In June 2018, Belldegrun received the EY Master Entrepreneur Award at the Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 Awards.
Belldegrun has written over 500 scientific publications related to urologic oncology and has authored several books on prostate and kidney cancers. He was one of the speakers at the Milken Institute Global Conference 2013, delivered the keynote Andrew C. Novick Memorial Lecture at the Ninth International Kidney Cancer Symposium, and regularly presents at the Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. It was announced that Belldegrun will present at the 34th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in January 2016.
Belldegrun serves as a member of the advisory board of the Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management at the University of Pennsylvania and as a member of the strategic advisory group of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy.
"Arie Belldegrun, MD, FACS"
''Two River''. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
References
External links
''Arie Belldegrun on Bloomberg''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belldegrun, Arie
1949 births
Living people
American bankers
American billionaires
American chairpersons of corporations
American health care chief executives
American investors
American medical academics
American oncologists
American technology chief executives
American technology company founders
American urologists
American venture capitalists
Businesspeople from Los Angeles
Businesspeople in the pharmaceutical industry
Harvard Medical School alumni
The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School alumni
Israeli billionaires
Israeli emigrants to the United States
Israeli Jews
Jewish American bankers
Jewish physicians
People from Bel Air, Los Angeles
Physicians from California
Weizmann Institute of Science alumni
21st-century American Jews