Leon C. Greene, 1950
B.S., Denison University
M.S., University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Citation awarded June, 1981
Recognized for his role in the research and development of major medical therapeutic agents throughout the world, notably “Tagamet”, antibiotics, and antihypertensive agents, Dr. Leon Greene is vice president of worldwide research and development licensing for Smith Kline and French Laboratories. In 1976, he was honored by the company’s board of directors for his work in the development of “Tagamet,” a breakthrough drug which has revolutionized the treatment of ulcers. He was cited by the board of directors as “the development leader who took us over the bridge that links research utility with the practice of medicine around the world. It is an accomplishment that called for an uncanny sense of the realistic, the practical, the possible.” The task accomplished by Dr. Greene has resulted in the introduction of this new therapeutic agent in over 120 countries in the world in which millions of people have now benefited from this therapy. One of the highlights of this accomplishment was the preparation of more than 160 volumes of supportive data which were compiled under his leadership before “Tagamet” was approved for marketing in the United States.
Dr. Greene has also worked in space medicine and in the training of astronauts for flights into space. He is the author and co-author of more than 40 scientific papers.
