John C. Martin (1951-2021)
It is with great sadness that ISAR announces that Dr. John C. Martin, one of our longtime members and former Presidents of ISAR (1998-2000) has passed away unexpectedly and untimely. John began his career at Syntex before moving to Bristol Meyers, where he was involved in the development of the phosphonate antiviral nucleosides synthesized by Antonin Holy. John later joined Gilead as the vice president of research and development. Some of his most notable and impactful contributions to the antiviral field came after he was named CEO and executive Chairman in 1996. John was involved with the development of Tenofovir, and later Atripla, the first single-tablet regimen for treating HIV, among other HIV combination drugs. Following on the success of those drugs, John was involved with the development of Tamiflu. More recently, John was responsible for the development of Sofosbuvir, the groundbreaking drug that provided the basis for the cure for HCV, the first chronic viral infection to ever be cured. In 2003 John received ISAR’s Gertrude B. Elion Award for Scientific Excellence for his outstanding contributions to our field. Throughout his career, John was one of the strongest supporters of our Society, and he will be greatly missed by us all.
6 April 2021