Biotech pioneer John Martin dies

Leading Gilead to Greatness

John C. Martin, biotech pioneer and startup investor who built Gilead Sciences Inc. into a powerhouse player, died on March 30 at the age of 69. Martin developed a highly profitable HIV drug franchise for Gilead, a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades.

Daniel O’Day, who took over as CEO after Martin and his close colleague John Milligan left Gilead a couple of years ago, said, “John’s legacy will be felt for generations to come, living on through the scientific progress made under his leadership and the programs he championed that expanded access to medications for people around the world. On behalf of all of us at Gilead, I extend our deepest condolences to John’s family.”

Martin started at Gilead as a VP of R&D in 1990, became CEO 6 years later and ran the company for a 20-year stretch before turning his post over to Milligan and remaining chairman until 2019. During that time the company built a reputation as a major competitor in HIV, fielding drug cocktails that kept the deadly AIDS at bay for millions — while also being targeted by critics for being tone deaf on pricing controversies.

According to Angus Liu of Fierce Biotech, “Martin was one of the most successful leaders in biotech, credited with turning Gilead into a biopharma powerhouse with a $100 billion market cap and multibillion-dollar revenues from practice-changing antivirals for HIV and hepatitis C…A chemist turned executive, Martin joined Gilead as vice president for R&D in 1990 after a stint at what was then Bristol-Myers, and then quickly moved up the command chain to become the company’s CEO…He was behind Gilead’s major shift from an early research interest in oligonucleotide antisense therapy to small-molecule antivirals. That strategy led to the birth of Viread, or tenofovir, a widely used HIV drug that serves as a backbone to multiple combo regimens.”

Gilead was the first to win the race to develop a largely painless combo cure for hepatitis C, and it was Gilead that rocked the industry with an $84,000 price tag that threatened a wide swathe of payers, creating a controversy that set the stage for a years-long public battle over pricing that continues to simmer in Washington, DC.

Martin was widely loved in the industry. He continued to play an active role as a biotech investor and enthusiast backing a number of fledgling startups, including the Kronos startup led by ex-Gilead R&D chief Norbert Bischofberger, where Martin joined the board and the investor syndicate.

As Kite founder and longtime biotech entrepreneur Arie Belldegrun, who worked with Martin on Kronos, said, “John was a brilliant life science leader and trusted advisor to many, myself included. Our bond was formed through a shared passion for science, but it grew even deeper as our families grew together in friendship. The hole that now exists by his absence, not just in our family, but by all of us in the industry, is immeasurable. We will seek to fill it with gratitude for his remarkable life and work to honor him in all we do. He will be greatly missed.”

Bischofberger added, “On behalf of the employees and Board of Directors at Kronos Bio, I am deeply saddened by John’s passing. An exceptional scientist and business leader, John has made immeasurable contributions to the life sciences community, our company and numerous other organizations. Most importantly, he has helped millions of people around the world through the medicines we developed throughout our nearly three decades as colleagues. He leaves a lasting legacy that will benefit patients around the world for years to come. John was one of my dearest friends and a great mentor, and I will miss him terribly. We extend our deepest sympathies to John’s family and everyone who was fortunate to have known him.”

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis and cancer. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.