Genzyme Corporation is established.

Founded by Henry Blair and Sheridan Snyder, it is located initially at 75 Kneeland Street. Henri Termeer becomes CEO in 1983. The company becomes public in 1986, moves to Cambridge in 1990, and becomes the largest biotechnology company in Massachusetts. It builds a new manufacturing plant in Allston in 1993,* and is purchased by the French-based Sanofi-Aventis in April 2011.