Therapeutic Momentum

In this episode I am joined by Kate Haviland, who most recently served as President and CEO of Blueprint Medicines, guiding it from a clinical-stage company through a fully integrated commercial business and ultimately through its roughly $9.5 billion acquisition by Sanofi in 2025. Over a more than twenty-year career spanning Genzyme, PTC Therapeutics, Sarepta, Idera, and Blueprint, Kate has built a reputation for bridging rigorous science with sharp business instincts, equally fluent in the lab and the boardroom. She studied biochemistry and economics at Wesleyan, earned her MBA at Harvard Business School, and today serves as Board Chair of both Fulcrum Therapeutics and GC Therapeutics, as a director at Bicara and Avalyn, and on the board of BIO. This episode was recorded in 2025

Robert Plenge is a physician-scientist known for his work at Merck, Celgene, and BMS, translating insights from human genetics into breakthroughs in drug discovery and development, resulting in new medicines. On his well-known blog, he writes with inspiring clarity about genomics, therapeutic target validation, and lessons from translational research, bridging academic rigor and industry practice for scientists and clinicians alike. In this interview, we explore Robert's passion for causal human biology, drug development, and leading teams. Roberts Blog: https://www.robertplenge.com

Mathai Mammen is a world-renowned innovator in drug discovery, development, and team- and company-building responsible for creating 13 transformational medicines from discovery through commercial launch and more than 25 other potential medicines that have achieved clinical proof-of-concept, many of these practice-changing. Mathai is the CEO, President and Chairman of Cambridge-based Parabilis Medicines, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing a new category of peptide therapeutics for people affected by cancer and other severe diseases. Previously Mathai was Executive Vice President of Pharmaceuticals, R&D at Johnson & Johnson, one of the largest R&D organizations in the world. Prior to that Mathai was the leader of much of the research at Merck including Oncology, Immunology and Cardiovascular Disease. He began his career as head of R&D at Theravance, Inc., a company he co-founded out of graduate school based on his work at Harvard University with Dr. George Whitesides, which split to form Theravance Biopharma and Innoviva. Mathai holds an M.D. from the Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (HST) and a Ph.D. in chemistry from Harvard University.

Andy Plump discusses his journey from a postdoc at UCSF to a leading roles in pharmaceutical research. Andy, who joined Merck in 2001, worked in clinical pharmacology. He highlighted the importance of genetics in target selection and shares his experiences at Sanofi and Takeda, emphasizing the cultural sensitivities and leadership lessons gained from global experiences. The interview explores the transformative potential of AI and machine learning in biopharmaceutical research.The views expressed in this podcast belong solely to the speakers and do not represent those of their organization.