French scientist Étienne-Émile Baulieu, the groundbreaking researcher who developed the abortion pill mifepristone (RU-486), passed away at age 98 on Friday at his Paris home, his wife Simone Harari Baulieu confirmed to AFP.
A Holocaust-era resistance fighter and friend of Andy Warhol, Baulieu dedicated his career to advancing women’s reproductive rights through science. “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, the future scientist changed his name while joining the French Resistance at just 15. After WWII, he pursued endocrinology research, making his landmark 1982 discovery – a progesterone-blocking compound that became the safe, non-surgical abortion option used worldwide today.
The pill’s creation made Baulieu a target. “Adversity slides off him like water off a duck’s back,” his wife noted, describing how he endured lawsuits and comparisons to Nazi doctors by anti-abortion activists. When Wyoming banned mifepristone in 2023, the then-96-year-old told AFP the move was “scandalous,” having spent decades “increasing the freedom of women.”
French President Emmanuel Macron honored Baulieu in 2023, praising how the scientist endured “atrocious insults” while advancing reproductive rights. “You held on, for the love of freedom and science,” Macron said while awarding France’s highest honor.
Beyond reproductive health, Baulieu researched Alzheimer’s treatments and depression therapies until his final years. “There is no reason we cannot find treatments,” he insisted in 2023, still working from his Paris office. The polymath also collaborated with artists like Warhol, fascinated by “the human soul” beyond scientific reach.
Baulieu is survived by his wife, three children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Tributes poured in globally, with French Equality Minister Aurore Bergé praising his lifelong commitment to “human dignity.” His legacy continues through the millions of women who’ve accessed safe abortion care because of his work.
