Andrew Roberts has conducted ground-breaking research that has delivered a novel drug for blood cancer patients. From concept, through laboratory testing and clinical trials he has been a pioneer in the development of BCL2 inhibitors, specifically the first-in-class drug, venetoclax. After initiating testing on human samples during drug design, Roberts led the first-in-human trial, before developing combination therapies and leading the first combination trials in leukaemia and lymphoma. Venetoclax is approved in Australia and internationally for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, and for acute myeloid leukaemia in the USA.