Sir Ralph Kohn, the leading medical scientist and philanthropist, has died at the age of 88.

Born in Leipzig, Germany, in 1927, Sir Ralph's family fled to Amsterdam, before escaping the Nazi occupation of Holland. They then came to the UK and settled in Salford.

Sir Ralph quickly rose to prominence in the pharmaceutical industry, after obtaining his PhD in pharmacology.

In 1969, he founded the first UK’s first medical services company, which specifically focused on evaluating new therapeutic substances and is credited with changing the way clinical trials are operated today.

Sir Ralph received the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement for his services to the pharmaceutical industry in 1990.

Soon after, he set up the Kohn Foundation, which supports research and innovation in science, medicine, arts and education. He was knighted in 2010.

As well as his success in the science industry, Sir Ralph was a keen baritone. Among his many activities in the arts, he financed John Eliot Gardiner’s Bach Cantatas project.

In an interview with the JC last year, the philanthropist said he was determined to repay Britain for “the fact that they saved our lives, fed us when we had nothing and clothed us.

“They gave us opportunities to work, to develop ourselves. And the little I have done, Britain has recognised to the full.”

He is survived by his wife and three children, who said following his passing: “Words cannot express our love for him and our gratitude for his extraordinary life and his many blessings”.