Photographer: Thos Robinson / Getty Images
Photographer: Thos Robinson / Getty Images
José Baselga, a renowned oncologist who led AstraZeneca Plc’s research and development arm for oncology, has passed away.
A fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research, Baselga has died of Creuzfeldt-Jacob Disease, a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disorder, according to a Spanish news report. He was 61.
Baselga has been in charge of developing AstraZeneca’s cancer medicine since CEO Pascal Soriot tapped in 2019 in his bid to transform the drugmaker into a leader in the lucrative field. The company invested nearly $ 7 billion in a drug from Daiichi Sankyo Co. that year. who studied Baselga extensively at an American medical center.
“He has put our oncology R & D function on a remarkable track,” Soriot said in a statement Sunday. “His visionary leadership, deep scientific expertise and strategic insight have yielded so many achievements that we can all be proud of and that will benefit patients’ lives in the years to come.”
Baselga was a proponent of the company’s work with Daiichi-Sankyo in connection with the clinical development of two cancer drugs: Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) and datopotamab deruxtecan. He led a team to accelerate the science in antibody-drug-conjugated drugs, cell therapy, epigenetics and new cancer treatments, the company said.
Baselga, who arrived at AstraZeneca with limited corporate experience, was a controversial choice. He has just left his previous job as chief physician at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center after news reports that he had received payments from the pharmaceutical sector.
– Assisted by John Lauerman