ABOVE: José Baselga
COURTESY OF ASTRAZENECA
José Baselga, an oncologist and AstraZeneca executive who helped develop novel treatments for breast cancer, died March 21 at the age of 61.
“Dr. Baselga’s death is a great loss to cancer research,” Margaret Foti, the CEO of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), where Baselga was the president from 2015–2016, says in a statement sent to The Scientist. “He played a leading role in the clinical trials of several therapeutics that are pillars of cancer treatment. He was a caring oncologist and supportive mentor to a whole generation of physician-scientists. He will be dearly missed through the entire world for his stellar contributions to cancer science and to the improved care of cancer patients.”
According to an AACR biography, Baselga’s research focused on novel molecular targeted therapeutics aimed at HER2, a key receptor on many breast cancers, and the PI3K pathway, often considered ...
