# Jeremy Levin

Jeremy Levin (born 1954) is a South African-born biopharmaceutical executive and medical doctor. In 2018, Levin was named as one of the most influential figures in the biopharmaceutical industry and, in 2023, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 19th Annual Scrip Awards in London.

## Biography

Jeremy Levin was born in South Africa, where his family had a farm, De Hoek Farm, in Piketberg, Western Cape. His father Archie (died 1977) was a political journalist. His mother, Leah Levin (died 2024), was an honorary doctorate from the University of Essex and was appointed OBE for services to international human rights in 2001. She served on the board of the United Nations Association, Anti-Slavery and International Alert, and was director of JUSTICE from 1982 to 1992. Ms. Levin also served on Boards of Redress, Readers International, and the International Journal of Human Rights. She is the author of UNESCO's "Human Rights: Questions and Answers," one the world's widely disseminated books on human rights. He is the brother of David and sister Michal Levin.
Following the Sharpeville massacre, his family left South Africa and moved to live in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe). In 1965, his father was given a day to leave the country. The family arrived in Britain knowing nobody, settling in London. He attended Holland Park School. Following graduating from high school, Levin went to Wadham College, University of Oxford, where he gained a First Class BA Honors degree in zoology, and a Master of Arts (MA) and doctorate (DPhil) in cell biology and chromatin structure from the Oxford University's Sir William Dunn School of Pathology. He subsequently received an MB, BChir degree (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) from the University of Cambridge.
Prior to his business experience Levin practised medicine, working at university hospitals including the Hammersmith Hospital in London, Groote Schuur in Cape Town, South Africa and Hôpitaux universitaires de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland.
In 1986, Levin came to America where he has worked in the biopharmaceutical industry in progressively senior positions. While living in Washington, D.C. Levin met Margery Feldberg (daughter of Stanley Feldberg, co-founder of TJX Companies). They married in September 1987 and have two daughters. He has lived in New Milford, Connecticut since the 1980s, where he and his wife own De Hoek Farm, raising Black Angus cows.

## Business career

Levin is the chairman and CEO of Ovid Therapeutics Inc., a company dedicated to meaningfully improve the lives if people and families affected by neurological diseases. Ovid is developing a next generation of targeted small molecule therapies that seek to reduce seizures and deliver improved safety and tolerability. Ovid’s current product development programs are focused on restoring neuronal homeostasis, targeting conditions such as epilepsy and cerebral cavernous malformation.
Prior to joining Ovid, Levin served as president and CEO of Israel's Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE:TEVA), one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. Previously, he was a member of the executive committee of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY), where he had global responsibilities for strategy, alliances and transactions. In this role, he devised and led BMY's “String of Pearls” business development strategy. This strategy helped drive the transformation of BMY, particularly following the acquisition by Levin of Medarex Inc. in July 2009, which positioned BMY as a leader in immunooncology. Prior to this, Levin was head of global business development and strategic alliances at Novartis (NYSE: NVS), and previously served as chairman and CEO of Cadus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Levin currently serves as the chairman of the board of OPTHEA and is on the board of directors at Graviton and Gensaic. Levin was elected as the Chairman of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) in 2019, and is currently Chairman Ameritus.
Levin frequently speaks at biopharmaceutical conferences, where his focus is driving deeper and more direct relationships between companies and patients, ensuring innovation in the biopharmaceutical industry, expanding the role of mergers and acquisitions, globalising the biopharmaceutical industry, and propelling interface of the digital health and biopharmaceutical industries and leadership. In his speech at the Kellogg-Recanati International Executive MBA Program in Tel Aviv, Levin addressed the importance of leadership, innovation, and global collaboration. His remarks emphasized the critical role of emerging leaders in shaping the future of healthcare and technology. Levin was also invited to speak as part of the Keck Graduate Institute’s (KGI) 25 Years of Innovation Speaker Series. During his talk, Levin discussed “the Innovation Symphony”, reflecting on the transformative advances in biotech over the past quarter-century and values that are crucial for the future of biomedical innovation.
Levin authored the first-ever book on the biotechnology industry's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, titled Biotechnology in the Time of Covid-19:Commentaries from the Front Line.. The book features a collection of commentaries from industry leaders about their experiences during the pandemic, emphasizing the importance of biotechnology in responding to global health crises.

## Social and Political Activism

Levin is a social and political activist. He has been an outspoken advocate for developing and sustaining democracy in the United States, Israel, and other parts of the world. He has used his platform to call for the protection of democratic values and institutions globally. Levin has been an active voice against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, speaking out in favor of supporting Ukraine and its people during the conflict. He has advocated for global action to defend democracy and human rights in the region. Levin has also advocated against Hamas, particularly in relation to its attacks on Israel.
Levin has been an advocate for women's rights, particularly in the healthcare sector. He was notably involved in the legal battle surrounding mifepristone, a medication used in medical abortions, when the case reached the U.S. Supreme Court. His stance on protecting access to reproductive healthcare has been highlighted in media outlets like npr.

## Awards and recognition

Levin is the recipient of a number of awards, including:
* FierceBiotech's one of the most influential people in biopharma
* The Kermode Prize for work on novel hypertension drugs
* The Albert Einstein Award for Leadership in Life Sciences
* The B'nai B'rith Award for Distinguished Achievement for commitment to improving global health care
* The Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary
* Scrip's Lifetime Achievement Award
* PharmaVoice Red Jacket and Legacy Leader