A New Mission: Conquering Cancer
In 2003, after Computer Motion was sold, Zanganeh and Duggan turned their attention to a struggling biotech firm called Pharmacyclics. The company specialized in cancer treatments but was on the verge of collapse. For Duggan, the choice to invest was personal—his son had died from brain cancer. For Zanganeh, it was an opportunity to use science to save lives, including potentially her own someday.
Their efforts at Pharmacyclics led to one of the most successful turnarounds in the history of biotech. Zanganeh spearheaded negotiations with pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, securing a groundbreaking deal: $400 million in upfront funding and the rights to sell the company’s drug Imbruvica in the U.S. market.
Imbruvica turned out to be a game-changing treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, significantly improving patient outcomes and becoming one of the most important cancer drugs of the decade. When Pharmacyclics was sold to AbbVie in 2015 for $21 billion, Zanganeh’s $1 million investment had ballooned into $225 million. But the deal was more than a financial triumph—it was a validation of her vision, her instincts, and her persistence.
A Private Life Under the Spotlight
Zanganeh’s personal life has always been interwoven with her professional journey. In 2006, she gave birth to a son, Sean. At the time, she was juggling global business meetings and intense research timelines. For the first five years of his life, Sean was cared for by Zanganeh’s mother in France—a choice she made so she could continue building her career while ensuring her son had stability.
For years, Zanganeh kept her relationship with Duggan private, even as they built companies and wealth together. Only recently did Duggan publicly confirm that he is Sean’s father, and the couple married in December 2024, formalizing a bond that had long defined their professional and personal lives.