SAN CARLOS, CA, October 29, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Anthony B. Chen, PhD, principal scientist and quality product leader, retired from Genentech, Inc., was selected by Marquis Who's Who for a prominent feature in the August/September 2026, San Francisco, California, regional issue of Forbes magazine.

Distinguished for a nearly 50-year career in biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals, Dr. Chen views his life story as a chain of events leading naturally from one to the next. That journey began in 1978, when he accepted his first job as a scientist and team leader with International Diagnostic Technology (IDT), a Boehringer Ingelheim company. He gained practical industrial experience there by helping develop rapid immunodiagnostic tests crucial for pregnant women.

Dr. Chen joined one of IDT's founders at a new startup, Daryl Laboratories Inc., in 1981. For this endeavor, he shifted his focus to veterinary medicine, taking on the position of senior director of research and development. Under his scientific leadership, the new company secured funding, developed a product, and earned Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a diagnostic within just three years.

Concurrent with Dr. Chen's time at Daryl Laboratories Inc., his wife — a pharmacologist he met during his PhD program — took a job working in pharmacokinetics at Genentech, Inc. Because of this connection, he often met scientists from Genentech during events or dinners. He made a strong impression and was hired when he applied for an open position.

Dr. Chen joined Genentech in 1984 as a scientist in assay development. Within his first eight years at the company, he was promoted to senior scientist and subsequently, director of biological chemistry. In 1993, he transferred to quality control (QC) to validate assays required for testing clinical products. From 2000 to 2006, he was the single point of contact for all QC activities at partners and CMOs. He was promoted to principal QC scientist, and in 2008, he was moved to quality assurance to enhance scientific capability there. Dr. Chen retired from full-time work in 2025.

Rather than being driven by a desire for fame or money, Dr. Chen's primary concern in his professional life was to contribute to lifesaving breakthroughs in biopharmaceuticals. That same focus was behind his decision to join Genentech as a bench scientist and is the reason he stayed at the company for more than 40 years. Dr. Chen expresses gratitude to mentors throughout his education and early career who inspired him with their selfless commitment to healing others.

Among other notable accomplishments, Dr. Chen played a key role in the FDA submissions of three cancer treatments: Rituxan, the first monoclonal antibody approved by the FDA, Herceptin and Kadcyla. He helped pioneer the use of capillary electrophoresis in QC, and he is the only scientist to validate analytical, biological and microbiological assays.

ACADEMIC JOURNEY
Dr. Chen's achievements are supported by an extensive education, beginning with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and biochemistry from McGill University in 1968. He then earned a Master of Science in immunochemistry and allergy from the same institution. Subsequently, Dr. Chen earned a PhD in microbiology from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He completed postdoctoral research in hematology at Downstate Medical Center, followed by a second postdoctoral appointment in virology at Vanderbilt University.

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