Agnes Varis:
Founder and President,
Agvar Chemicals, Inc.

AGNES VARIS is recognized as a pioneer and a leader in the pharmaceutical industry. As president and founder of Agvar Chemicals Inc. and as founder and president of Aegis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Varis has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of science’s responsibility to help solve society’s problems. Evidenced in the philosophy and products of both her companies is Varis’ dedication to increase the accessibility and affordability of life saving pharmaceuticals for people in the United States and around the world.

Varis’s leadership in the pharmaceutical industry is matched by her dedication to the arts, education, animal welfare and a range of social causes. As a role model, mentor and activist, she has worked to break down barriers for women in business and politics.

Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, Varis was the only one of eight children of Greek immigrant parents to attend college. She earned her degree in chemistry and English from Brooklyn College and went on to attend New York University School of Business. Right out of school, she took an entry-level job in a chemical manufacturing company that focused on bulk pharmaceuticals and within 20 years rose to second in command. She left to start her own company, Agvar Chemicals in 1970, co-founded Marsam Pharmaceuticals in 1985, and became founder and president of Aegis Pharmaceuticals in 1992. All three companies are dedicated to creating pharmaceuticals whose pricing and distribution make them more accessible to underserved populations.

“My background is science, and whatever I have made, I have made as a result of science," Varis said. "But you can’t separate science from society.”

A resident of New York City, Varis has sponsored children’s programs at Lincoln Center, spearheaded a citywide public service campaign in conjunction with Bide-A-Wee animal shelters and been active in Democratic political campaigns. The Agnes Varis Campaign Institute, a project of the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee, provides training and encouragement to women running for elected office in New York State.

In 1999, Varis was honored with the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Industry Leadership Award, and in 2000 endowed the Agnes Varis University Chair in Science and Society at Tufts University dedicated to exploring the critical interface between scientific discovery and its impact on humankind. It is the first endowed university chair in Tufts’ history designed to rotate among each of the schools at the university, thereby encouraging scholarly work in every field and among fields.

“We recognize Agnes Varis as a woman who has charted new territory in her work and in her philanthropy,” said then Tufts President John DiBiaggio at the dedication of the Varis chair. “If you know Agnes, I don’t need to tell you that she is a woman of great substance. Her achievements in business, the barriers she has broken for women in her industry and her contributions to cultural, social and political organizations are exceptional.”

Varis is president and trustee of the MAKK Foundation, whose name is an acronym for her late cat, Mishi, her name Agnes, her husband Karl, and her first cat Kiki. Through this foundation, Varis is a longtime benefactor of the New York-based Bide-A-Wee animal shelters and her love of animals has led to many generous donations to Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine, including the Agnes Varis Lecture Hall. Varis is also a member of the Board of Overseers for Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine.