Widely regarded as the father of the medical abortion pill, Baulieu revolutionised reproductive healthcare with the development of mifepristone (also known as RU-486), offering millions of women around the world a safe, non-surgical option to end a pregnancy.
"His research was guided by his commitment to progress through science, his dedication to women's freedom and his desire to enable everyone to live better, longer lives," said his widow, television producer Simone Harari Baulieu, in a statement on Friday, May 30.
Baulieu is survived by three children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
French President Emmanuel Macron hailed him as 'a beacon of courage' and 'a progressive mind who enabled women to win their freedom,' adding, 'Few French people have changed the world to such an extent.'
Born Étienne Blum in Strasbourg on 12 December 1926 to Jewish parents, Baulieu joined the French Resistance as a teenager during the Nazi occupation. He later adopted the name Émile Baulieu, adding Étienne back after the war.
Raised by a feminist mother following the early death of his father, he would go on to devote his life to scientific discovery and women's rights.
After studying medicine and working in the United States, Baulieu was mentored by Gregory Pincus, the American biologist known as the father of the contraceptive pill. Under Pincus's guidance, Baulieu began focusing on the biology of sex hormones, a path that would define his career.
His breakthrough came in 1982 when he developed a method to block the hormone progesterone, which is vital for a fertilised egg to implant in the uterus. This discovery led to the creation of mifepristone, which would become a cornerstone of medical abortion.
The drug was approved for use in France in 1988 and has since been authorised in over 100 countries.
However, Baulieu's groundbreaking work was not without controversy. He faced threats, legal battles, and fierce opposition from anti-abortion groups, particularly in the United States.
In 2023, following Wyoming's decision to become the first US state to ban the abortion pill, Baulieu described the move as 'scandalous,' reiterating that he had spent much of his life fighting to 'increase the freedom of women.'
Despite the resistance, mifepristone has been recognised by the World Health Organisation as an essential medicine since 2010. While critics continue to question its safety, scientific studies show it has a lower fatality rate than many common over-the-counter medications, such as aspirin.
Beyond reproductive health, Baulieu's research extended into ageing, depression, and neurodegenerative conditions. Even into his mid-90s, he continued working from his office in Paris, with ongoing projects that explored treatments for Alzheimer's disease and severe depression.
'I would be bored if I did not work anymore,' he once said.
In 2023, President Macron awarded Baulieu the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, France's highest national distinction.
At the ceremony, Macron praised his resilience in the face of vilification: 'You, a Jew and a member of the Resistance, were heaped with the most atrocious insults and compared to Nazi scientists. But you held firm, out of love for freedom and science.'
Baulieu's passion for life extended beyond the laboratory. A literature enthusiast, he befriended artists like Andy Warhol in the 1960s and expressed admiration for those who 'claim to have access to the human soul.'
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/scientist-who-invented-abortion-pill-dies-aged-98
