Drugmaker AstraZeneca has issued a statement mourning the death of one of its senior executive members who also happened to be vice president of Oncology R&D.

In the statement, AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot praised the late Jose Baselga for massive contribution in ensuring that the oncology wing of the institution thrived.

He noted: ‘‘An outstanding scientific leader, José leaves a lasting legacy in the scientific community and here at AstraZeneca. He set our Oncology R&D function on a remarkable trajectory, and his visionary leadership, deep scientific expertise and strategic insight have delivered so many achievements that we can all be proud of and that will benefit patients’ lives in the years to come.’’

Mr Soriot said Baselga had immensely contributed in breakthrough scientific studies which will benefit the cancer patients around the globe.

‘‘José championed our transformative collaborations with Daiichi-Sankyo in relation to the clinical development of Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) and datopotamab deruxtecan, two medicines which have demonstrated great potential to benefit cancer patients.

‘‘He led a team to accelerate other exciting new science in antibody-drug conjugates, cell therapy, epigenetics, as well as new cancer treatments. He also championed the use of real-world evidence and digital tools to transform the way we design and implement clinical trials.

‘‘José built a world-class Oncology R&D team who will miss him dearly, just as all his colleagues will throughout our entire Company.’’

The scientist leaves behind a wife and four children. The drug maker however did not talk about the cause of his death.