Maky Zanganeh: From Dental Surgeon to Trailblazing Biotech Co-CEO and Cancer Survivor

Maky Zanganeh, born in Tehran in 1970, experienced the upheaval of Iran’s Islamic Revolution firsthand. She vividly remembers a night when military forces unleashed machine gun fire and tear gas near her family’s home at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, leaving her and her sisters alone and frightened. Yet, by morning, life resumed as usual, and they went to school as if nothing had occurred. This resilience and composure would become hallmarks of her extraordinary journey.

Early Life and Education: A Foundation Built on Adaptability and Ambition

Following the turmoil in Tehran, Zanganeh’s family, both parents architects, relocated to Germany in the mid-1980s. Settling in Oldenburg, near Bremen, she embraced a rigorous education, prioritizing health, discipline, and academic excellence. While her sisters pursued medical degrees in Strasbourg, France, Zanganeh initially studied dentistry at Louis Pasteur University (now University of Strasbourg). However, she soon realized dentistry confined her creativity and sought a more dynamic career path.

Her curiosity led her to a role at Computer Motion, a U.S.-based medical robotics company, where she worked in Strasbourg. Encouraged by her father to gain business acumen, she earned an MBA from Schiller International University in 1998 while working. By age 28, she was managing Computer Motion’s operations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, introducing cutting-edge robotic surgical technology to surgeons in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

Partnership with Bob Duggan: A Dynamic Duo in Biotech Innovation

At Computer Motion, Zanganeh met Bob Duggan, a charismatic entrepreneur and investor with a background far removed from traditional biotech. Duggan, a former surfer and self-taught business strategist, complemented Zanganeh’s meticulous and data-driven approach. Their partnership, both professional and personal-they married and have a son-has been pivotal in reshaping the biotech landscape.

After Duggan sold Computer Motion to Intuitive Surgical in 2003, the couple sought new ventures. Zanganeh’s keen eye led them to invest in Pharmacyclics, a struggling cancer drug developer with a promising pipeline. Motivated by Duggan’s personal loss of a son to brain cancer, they invested heavily, with Zanganeh even borrowing funds to support the company. By 2008, Duggan controlled Pharmacyclics and became CEO, with Zanganeh serving as Vice President of Business Development and later COO.

Pharmacyclics and the Rise of Imbruvica: A Blockbuster Success

Under their leadership, Pharmacyclics developed Imbruvica, a revolutionary treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Approved by the FDA in 2013, Imbruvica offered a less toxic alternative to chemotherapy, significantly improving patient outcomes. The drug’s success propelled Duggan onto Forbes’ Billionaires List, and in 2015, AbbVie acquired Pharmacyclics for $21 billion. Zanganeh personally earned approximately $225 million from her initial $1 million investment.

Personal Trials: Battling Breast Cancer and Balancing Family

In 2019, during a visit to France where her father was undergoing tumor surgery, Zanganeh discovered a lump in her own breast. Diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer, she underwent surgery and chemotherapy amid the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The treatment was grueling, with severe side effects including near organ failure, chronic nausea, and bone pain. This personal battle deepened her empathy for patients and reinforced her commitment to advancing cancer therapies.

Transforming Summit Therapeutics: From Struggling Antibiotics to Cancer Drug Innovators

In 2020, Duggan acquired a majority stake in Summit Therapeutics, a Nasdaq-listed biotech firm with limited revenue and a narrow pipeline focused on antibiotics. Zanganeh joined as COO and board member, later becoming co-CEO in 2022. After initial setbacks in antibiotic development, they pivoted to oncology, recruiting former Pharmacyclics talent to identify promising cancer drug candidates worldwide.

Guided by Fong Clow, a Pharmacyclics alumna from China, Summit licensed ivonescimab from Akeso, a Hong Kong-listed biotech. Despite initial skepticism about partnering with Chinese firms-especially after the FDA rejected a similar lung cancer drug from Innovent Biologics-Zanganeh and Duggan embraced the opportunity, undeterred by conventional industry biases.

Ivonescimab: A Dual-Action Lung Cancer Therapy with Game-Changing Potential

Ivonescimab employs a unique two-pronged mechanism: it activates the immune system to target cancer cells while simultaneously starving tumors by inhibiting their blood supply. Tested in 11 Phase III trials globally, the drug showed promising results, outperforming Merck’s Keytruda in a pivotal study by extending median treatment duration to 11.1 months versus 5.8 months for Keytruda.

Despite a recent setback where one trial missed its overall survival endpoint, analysts remain optimistic, highlighting significant improvements in progression-free survival and the drug’s potential to address a critical unmet need. Lung cancer remains the deadliest cancer in the U.S., claiming approximately 125,000 lives annually, more than twice that of any other cancer type, underscoring the urgency for innovative treatments.

Leadership Style and Industry Impact: Challenging Norms and Driving Results

Ken Clark, a veteran biotech attorney and Summit board member, describes Zanganeh as one of the most underrated executives in the sector. Her ability to combine rigorous data analysis with swift decision-making, alongside Duggan’s visionary outlook, has enabled them to defy traditional biotech paradigms and accelerate drug development.

Zanganeh’s multilingual fluency in Farsi, German, English, and French, coupled with her diverse professional background-from dental hygiene to robotic surgery and biotech investment-has equipped her with a unique perspective that fuels Summit’s innovative culture.

Looking Ahead: A Vision for Biotech Innovation and Patient-Centered Care

As Summit prepares to submit ivonescimab for FDA approval later this year, Zanganeh remains focused on delivering transformative therapies to patients worldwide. Her personal experience as a cancer survivor informs her leadership, emphasizing urgency, empathy, and relentless pursuit of breakthroughs.

With Summit’s market capitalization soaring to $21 billion despite limited current revenue, Zanganeh exemplifies how resilience, strategic vision, and unconventional partnerships can redefine success in the competitive biotech industry.