William Pao is a physician-scientist whose career has spanned academia, industry and biotech. He started his career as a thoracic oncologist, lab researcher and clinical investigator at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and then Vanderbilt University in Nashville, where he also served as the Division Chief of Hematology/Oncology.
Through executive leadership positions at Roche and Pfizer, he oversaw the discovery and development of portfolios of new molecular entities, many of which have been approved, to treat a variety of diseases. He currently is CEO and Co-Founder of a cancer biotechnology company.
Meet the doctors, scientists, patients and campaigners tackling the world’s worst diseases
Through the story of eight revolutionary treatments, Dr William Pao cuts to the innovative heart of medical science and celebrates the tireless work of those fighting for better care. Behind each of these medicines – whether a potentially life-saving new treatment for cancer, or something as commonplace as paracetamol – there stands a cast of characters and a wealth of stories.
Breakthrough documents these journeys and grants a privileged look at the stories behind the medicines that improve – and very often save – our lives.
“William Pao’s book vividly brings to life the people involved in medical research and development to find new ways to advance clinical outcomes for patients. The perseverance; intuition; iterations required to engineer that "sweet spot" are narrated in a very readable way.”
Dr Norman E. Sharpless,
Former Director of the National Cancer Institute and Former Acting Commissioner of the FDA
“This book is a must read for anyone interested in learning how new therapeutics are created and should also appeal to the curious reader fascinated by innovation, popular science, biology and medicine.”
Siddhartha Mukherjee,
Author of the Pulitzer Prize winner The Emperor of All Maladies
“This celebration of human ingenuity shines a light on the relentless resilience behind medical breakthroughs that have transformed patients’ lives. Utterly compelling.”
Dame Kate Bingham
Former chair of UK Vaccine Taskforce and author of The Long Shot
“Breakthrough reads like a mystery novel. Inspirational; a must read for anyone interested in or associated with drug discovery and development.”
Mace Rothenberg MD,
President and executive director of Museum of Medicine and Biomedical discovery
“Dr William Pao has been a pivotal force in the field of cancer research for decades, channelling the tragedy of his father’s untimely death from cancer into a passion for scientific discovery.”
Margaret Foti,
PhD, MD, CEO of American Association for Cancer Research
“Pao traces seminal innovations from idea through challenge, setback, and risk, harnessing determination and luck to bring them to fruition. Breakthrough shares the excitement of bold discovery that captivates scientific researchers.”
Martha Liggett
Executive Director, American Society of Haematology
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