The “godfather of biotech” and more at Breakthrough East

March 19, 2026

BREAKTHROUGH EAST | NYC + ONLINE

A biotech legend joins Breakthrough East

Dear readers,

One of the most important figures in the history of the biotechnology industry will join us at Breakthrough East.

Stelios Papadopoulos, often referred to as "the godfather of biotech," will join us on stage. In a 2022 profile, STAT's Damian Garde referred to Papadopoulos as "the living embodiment of biotech's institutional memory." A Ph.D. scientist who became a Wall Street investment banker during the industry's Cambrian explosion, he is famed for the handwritten charts he keeps of biotech dealmaking — and for being a creative tactician and a wise adviser who has had the ear of just about every biotech CEO. Damian will interview him live on stage.

Papadopoulos joins a stellar lineup at the STAT Breakthrough Summit East on March 19 in New York. It will include former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, a panel of top social media influencers who fact-check health misinformation in real time, and a founder and CEO who steered one of the most important stories in neuroscience drug development.

We'll also have a panel of top R&D heads from Alnylam, Biogen, and Bristol Myers Squibb, and an interview with Chris Klomp, the director of Medicare and deputy administrator of CMS, a key figure in the Department of Health and Human Services.

For those interested in drug development and the business of health, we think this summit will provide intellectual dividends that will keep paying all year. I hope to see you there!