Phil Low, Purdue drug discovery scholar and impactful innovator whose discoveries saved lives, dies at 78

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University drug discovery scholar and faculty member, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Philip Low, whose life’s work turned laboratory discoveries into therapies that save lives, died Wednesday (March 4) at the age of 78.

Low served as Purdue’s Presidential Scholar for Drug Discovery and the Ralph C. Corley Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and a faculty member in the Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery and the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research. Over his career, he held more than 100 U.S.-issued patents through Purdue Innovates and is listed on 600 U.S. and international patents and 145 invention disclosures. He founded seven companies based on Purdue-developed intellectual property: Endocyte Inc., OnTarget Laboratories Inc., Novosteo Inc., Erythrocure Inc., Umoja Biopharma Inc., Morphimmune Inc., and Eradivir Inc.

Endocyte, which sold in a $2.1 billion deal with Novartis in 2018, led to the development of the cancer therapy Pluvicto. Low’s companies also developed Cytalux and Locametz, additional cancer-fighting drugs now on the market.

“I believe I may have a gift or ability to see strategies that can successfully treat important human diseases, perhaps better than most people,” he said in a 2024 interview looking back on his career. “I also believe that I have — associated with that gift — an obligation to do whatever I can to relieve pain and suffering.”

In April 2025, Purdue announced the creation of the Low Institute for Therapeutics (LIFT) through a founding gift from Phil and Joan Low, one of many generous gifts made to the university by the Low family over the course of his career. The institute is a nonprofit organization designed to address the gap between academic discovery and early-stage clinical development. Its mission is to continue the legacy of Low’s life by accelerating the development of lifesaving innovations to reduce human suffering and mortality. Through LIFT, Low sought to share the strategies he had honed over a lifetime of moving research “from lab to life,” enabling other Purdue innovators to do the same.

Low received numerous honors over his career, including the American Association for Cancer Research Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chemistry in Cancer Research and the American Chemical Society’s Alfred Burger Award in Medicinal Chemistry. He is also a recipient of the Order of the Griffin and the Morrill Award, among the highest honors that can be given by Purdue University, and was named to IBJ Media’s 2025 list of Indiana’s most influential people.

“Phil Low is one of the most amazing Boilermakers ever,” said Purdue President Mung Chiang. “Through the past 50 years at Purdue, he transformed scientific discovery into hope and was an inspiring hero to so many. His passion for research breakthroughs in drug discovery, entrepreneurial spirit with impact to society, and visionary generosity to this university will continue to inspire generations of students and colleagues. We will also dearly miss Phil as a friend whose kindness and character have warmed our community for so long.”

“As governor, I was asked by Purdue to help retain a top talent named Dr. Phil Low. After a chance to work with him for 10 years at Purdue, I realized what an important achievement it was that Indiana kept him and his unparalleled talents and personal character,” said Purdue President Emeritus Mitch Daniels. “This is an enormous loss not just to the university but to medical science and patients everywhere. The world’s average IQ just went down a couple points.”

Low was a graduate of West Lafayette Junior/Senior High School, where he played basketball. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Brigham Young University, where he also played basketball, and a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of California, San Diego. He joined the Purdue University faculty in 1976 where his father, Philip F. Low, was a distinguished professor of agronomy recognized for his research in soil physical chemistry. Low is survived by his wife, Joan, five children — Philip, Tara, Emily, Justin and Stewart — and 19 grandchildren.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.