The drug Abraxane, used for lung, breast, and pancreatic cancer, was invented by Patrick Soon-Shiong, a surgeon and entrepreneur whose career spans biotechnology and healthcare media. Born in 1952 in Gqeberha, South Africa, he established a diverse portfolio of businesses, including a network of startups under the NantWorks umbrella and a position as owner of the Los Angeles Times.
Medical Education and Surgical Training
Soon-Shiong attended the University of the Witwatersrand, where he earned a Bachelor of Medicine and an M.D. After completing an internship at Johannesburg's General Hospital, he moved to the University of British Columbia to obtain a master's degree in surgery in 1979. He later immigrated to the United States to pursue surgical training at the University of California, Los Angeles, becoming a board-certified surgeon in 1984.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Academic and Research Contributions
From 1983 to 1991, Soon-Shiong served on the faculty at UCLA Medical School, where he performed the institution's first whole-pancreas transplant. His experimental work included encapsulated-human-islet transplants for Type 1 diabetes and early pig-to-man islet-cell procedures. He returned to UCLA in 2009 as a professor of microbiology, immunology, molecular genetics, and bioengineering, and has held visiting professorships at Imperial College London and Dartmouth College.
Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Development
As the founder of NantWorks, Soon-Shiong oversees a network focused on artificial intelligence and healthcare. His pharmaceutical development work culminated in the FDA approval of Anktiva, an immunotherapy drug for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, in 2024. Through ImmunityBio, he has led clinical trials on the use of IL-15 superagonists to treat lymphopenia and stimulate natural killer cell proliferation in patients with solid tumors.
Philanthropy and Public Policy
Soon-Shiong chairs the Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation. His public policy work includes a 2017 appointment to the Health Information Technology Advisory Committee. In 2021, he launched NantSA to expand vaccine development capabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa. He holds various accolades for his work, including the 2016 Bower Award for Business Leadership and the Benjamin Franklin Medal.
Fast facts
- Born: 1952, Gqeberha, South Africa
- Citizenship: United States and South Africa
- Key Invention: Abraxane
- Notable Holding: Los Angeles Times
- Education: University of the Witwatersrand, University of British Columbia
- 2016 Awards: Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science, Benjamin Franklin Medal
- Current Primary Role: Executive Chairman, Global Chief Medical & Technology Officer at ImmunityBio
Questions readers ask
What medical conditions does Anktiva treat?
Anktiva is FDA-approved for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and is being studied for its role in immune reconstitution for patients with solid tumors.
Which major newspaper does Patrick Soon-Shiong own?
He has been the owner and executive chairman of the Los Angeles Times since 2018.
Achievements
- Benjamin Franklin Medal — 2016
- Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science — 2016
- Holdings: Los Angeles Times
- Affiliated with University of California, Los Angeles, NantHealth and University of British Columbia
- Educated at University of British Columbia and University of the Witwatersrand
