Abortion Pill Inventor Etienne-Emile Baulieu Dies at 98

Renowned French biochemist and physician Etienne-Emile Baulieu, globally celebrated for inventing the abortion pill, passed away on Friday at the age of 98 in Paris, his wife Simone Harari Baulieu confirmed to AFP.

Baulieu, whose discovery of the drug mifepristone (RU-486) revolutionized reproductive health and provided millions of women worldwide with a non-surgical abortion option, lived a life that blended science, resistance, and advocacy. His work was driven by an unshakable belief in human dignity and women’s rights.

“His research was guided by a commitment to science, women’s freedom, and a desire to help everyone live better, longer lives,” said Simone Harari Baulieu in a statement.

Born in Strasbourg in 1926 to Jewish parents, Baulieu — originally named Etienne Blum — joined the French resistance at just 15 during the Nazi occupation. He later changed his name and pursued a career in science, eventually becoming one of the most influential hormone researchers in the world.

His groundbreaking research in the early 1980s led to the creation of mifepristone, a drug that blocks the hormone progesterone, which is essential for pregnancy continuation. The invention earned Baulieu both admiration and controversy, as anti-abortion groups across the globe criticized and even threatened him.

Despite the backlash, Baulieu stood firm. In 2023, when the U.S. state of Wyoming became the first to ban the abortion pill, Baulieu, then 96, called the move “scandalous,” reiterating that he had dedicated his life to increasing women’s freedom.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who awarded Baulieu France’s highest national honour in 2023, praised his resilience and legacy. “You, a Jew and a resistance fighter, were compared to Nazi scientists. Yet you stood firm — for the love of freedom and science,” Macron said.

Beyond his contributions to reproductive health, Baulieu also conducted extensive research on Alzheimer’s disease and depression well into his 90s, never retiring. “I would be bored if I did not work anymore,” he told journalists in 2023.

He also explored the anti-aging hormone DHEA and maintained an affinity for the arts, befriending figures like Andy Warhol. “Artists touch the human soul, something science may never fully reach,” he once said.

Baulieu is survived by his wife, three children, eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.