About me
Hesham Abdullah is a seasoned physician-scientist who uniquely combines a clinician’s understanding of the impact cancer has on patients with deep expertise in identifying transformational opportunities to improve cancer treatment and care.
As the head of GSK’s global oncology research and development (R&D) team, Hesham oversees 250+ oncology researchers around the world. Under Hesham’s leadership, GSK’s Oncology Therapeutic Area has built a portfolio of cornerstone assets, transforming promising molecules into medicines that are helping people to live well beyond cancer. Taking a precision medicine approach to identify patients most likely to respond to new modalities and harnessing the power of advanced technologies in the drug development process has been key to Hesham’s success in delivering breakthrough medicines in the treatment of cancer.
Hesham’s experience spans the breadth of early and late stages of development, in solid tumours and hematological malignancies. In his more than two decades leading global biopharmaceutical research and development teams and organisations, Hesham has applied his scientific background, pharmaceutical leadership experience, and personal inspiration for patient-centric research to successfully deliver 12 novel precision oncology approvals across targeted small molecules, antibodies, immunotherapy and ADCs and the registration of the companion diagnostics for many of these assets.
Under his oversight, GSK has returned to oncology with four novel medicines approved over the past four years, a pipeline of 15+ clinical stage oncology assets and a large number of research phase programs incorporating new technologies to get ahead of cancer and to address significant gaps in treatment and unmet medical needs.
