French scientist, Étienne-Émile Baulieu, renowned for developing the abortion pill mifepristone (RU-486), died at the age of 98 on Friday at his home in Paris.
His death was confirmed by his wife, Simone Harari Baulieu, to AFP.
A member of the French Resistance during the Holocaust era and a friend of artist Andy Warhol, Baulieu devoted his scientific career to advancing reproductive rights for women.
“His research was guided by his commitment to the progress made possible by science, his dedication to women’s freedom, and his desire to enable everyone to live better, longer lives,” his wife said in a statement.
Born Étienne Blum on December 12, 1926, in Strasbourg to Jewish parents, he changed his name during his teenage years when he joined the French Resistance at age 15.
After the Second World War, Baulieu pursued endocrinology and made a groundbreaking discovery in 1982—a progesterone-blocking compound that would become mifepristone, a non-surgical option for abortion now used globally.
The development of the pill placed Baulieu under intense scrutiny.
“Adversity slides off him like water off a duck’s back,” his wife said, recounting how he faced lawsuits and extreme criticism, including comparisons to Nazi doctors from anti-abortion campaigners. In 2023, when Wyoming moved to ban mifepristone, Baulieu, then 96, called the decision “scandalous,” emphasizing his decades-long effort to expand women’s freedoms.
President Emmanuel Macron recognized Baulieu’s contributions in 2023 by bestowing upon him France’s highest honour.
Macron praised the scientist’s perseverance, saying, “You held on, for the love of freedom and science,” despite facing “atrocious insults” for his work on reproductive rights.
Baulieu’s scientific pursuits extended beyond reproductive health. In his later years, he actively researched treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and depression. “There is no reason we cannot find treatments,” he stated in 2023, remaining active in his Paris office well into his nineties. He also found inspiration in the arts, collaborating with Warhol and exploring the nature of the human soul.
He is survived by his wife, three children, eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. Tributes have come in from around the world, including French Equality Minister Aurore Bergé, who commended his unwavering dedication to “human dignity.” Baulieu’s legacy lives on through the millions of women who have gained access to safe abortion care thanks to his work.
