French Abortion Pill Pioneer Étienne Baulieu Dies at 98
French scientist Étienne-Émile Baulieu, the researcher behind the abortion pill RU-486, has died at the age of 98.
He passed away at his home in Paris on Friday, according to a statement by his widow, Simone Harari Baulieu.
Dr Baulieu developed mifepristone — the active ingredient in the abortion pill. “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 and longer lives,” his widow said.
French President Emmanuel Macron called him “a beacon of courage” and “a progressive mind who enabled women to win their freedom.”
In a post on social media platform X, Macron said, “Few French people have changed the world to such an extent.”
Aurore Bergé, France’s minister for gender equality, said: “He was guided throughout his life by one requirement: that of human dignity,” and described him as a defender of science and justice “in the face of criticism and threats.”
Born Étienne Blum in Strasbourg on December 12, 1926, he changed his surname at the age of 15 when he joined the French resistance against Nazi occupation.
After completing his studies, Baulieu traveled to the United States, where he worked under Dr Gregory Pincus, the developer of the contraceptive pill, who advised him to focus on sex hormones.
Returning to France, Dr Baulieu developed a method to block progesterone, a hormone involved in pregnancy. This research led to the creation of RU-486. He spent years seeking international approval, facing opposition from anti-abortion groups.
When mifepristone was approved for sale in 1988, it faced backlash in both Europe and the United States. Although approved in over 100 countries, the drug remains restricted in parts of the world, including the US, where misinformation campaigns and legislative bans persist. In 2023, Dr Baulieu said: “I have spent a large part of my life trying to increase the freedom of women.”
Mifepristone was added to the World Health Organisation’s list of essential medicines in 2010. Medical experts have affirmed its safety, with US data showing a lower death rate from mifepristone use compared to common medications like aspirin.
Dr Baulieu continued researching treatments for Alzheimer’s and depression in his later years.
In 2023, President Macron awarded him the Grand Cross of the Legion d’Honneur. “You, a Jew and a member of the resistance, were heaped with the most atrocious insults and compared to Nazi scientists,” Macron said. “But you held firm, out of love for freedom and science.”
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