Chemotherapy, surgery, and months of physical depletion followed. Zanganeh, always the strong decision-maker and leader, now had to submit to the whims of his body and the slow pace of recovery. Yet, he never lost his entrepreneurial edge. Even while grappling with illness, his mind remained active, thinking about the gaps in current treatments, the inefficiencies in the system, and the lives that could be improved if better solutions existed.
A New Chapter at Summit Therapeutics
During this period, Dogan made a bold move of her own. In 2020, she purchased a 60% stake in Summit Therapeutics for $63 million, seizing an opportunity to steer a languishing biotech company toward a more dynamic and patient-focused direction. With Zanganeh’s insights and business acumen, it was only natural that he would join Summit after his recovery. In July 2022, the two became co-CEOs—a rare power partnership in an industry that often shuns shared leadership.
It was a fresh beginning—both personally and professionally. The duo’s mission was clear: accelerate the discovery and development of novel therapeutics, particularly in oncology, where the need was greatest and where Zanganeh had firsthand experience.
The Chinese Breakthrough: Ivoncimab
Mid-2022 brought another defining moment. Summit Therapeutics discovered an experimental anti-cancer drug called ivoncimab, developed by the Chinese biotech firm Axo. Ivoncimab stood out because of its dual mechanism of action—it not only stimulated the patient’s immune system to fight tumors but also restricted the tumors’ access to blood supply, essentially starving them.