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Heather Dean, SVP, Head of Takeda Neuroscience Division
Posted with permission from Takeda
When Heather Dean took over Takeda’s hematology franchise in November 2020, she inherited a multibillion-dollar portfolio that was struggling. Fortunately, she has a reputation as a “fixer.”
“I think a lot of people were feeling a certain amount of disappointment that our business was declining,” she said, “but honestly, given the situation our portfolio was in from a lifecycle perspective, this is normal.”
Dean was unable to prevent competitors from entering the market. But what she can do is help her team maintain its current business and “continue to serve the patients who have relied on us for decades.”
“What I’m really proud of is being able to help rebuild the team from a mindset standpoint,” she said. “I…had to think more about how to optimize our business and how to make adjustments so that the people we serve didn’t see a difference in our level of support or resources. ”
She also turned things around from a business perspective, leading the P&L management of an eight-product hematology franchise and managing a global License and collaboration agreement Takeda and Protagonist Therapeutics have partnered to develop and commercialize lasfertide, which is in pivotal late-stage trials for the treatment of polycythemia vera, a rare blood disorder.
“We can now continue to provide care in the field of hematology to the patients we have served for many years,” she said. “It’s the idea of making the most of the situation we’re in and securing new opportunities for people in terms of growth.”
Now, she brings these experiences and perspectives to her latest role as senior vice president and head of Takeda’s neuroscience business unit.
The company’s up-and-coming talent
She assumed the role in July 2023 as Takeda was at a turning point in the field of neuroscience.Takeda Pharmaceutical’s blockbuster ADHD treatment Vyvanse They had just lost their patent exclusivity. and Promising narcolepsy trial halted Due to liver damage.
In taking over this space, Dean saw the potential for the company’s pipeline of products for narcolepsy and epilepsy to fill important unmet medical needs. While Takeda’s current neuroscience products address prevalent diseases such as ADHD and major depressive disorder, and include the well-known brand Adderall, much of the company’s current pipeline It focuses on rarer diseases.
“There are many different forms of epilepsy, including narcolepsy type 1, type 2, and idiopathic hypersomnia,” Dean said. “There are two very rare types of epilepsy that we study: one called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and one called Dravet syndrome, both of which are very rare. Both are considered to be within the realm of rare diseases.
For example, Takeda’s pipeline includes the first-in-class seizure treatment drug soticlestat, a Phase 3 candidate with orphan drug designation. Licensed from Ovid Therapeutics For Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. The company plans to apply for regulatory approval for each of these conditions this year, according to the report. Expected timeline.
“We are excited to leverage the experience we have gained in neuropsychiatry and look to the next horizon of understanding patient and caregiver insights in rare epilepsy and narcolepsy.”
Heather Dean
Senior Vice President, Head of Takeda Neuroscience Business Division
Candidates for late-stage narcolepsy include TAK-861. It’s been found Earlier this year, a Phase 2B trial in patients with narcolepsy type 1 found it to be safe and effective in improving alertness. The company said it plans to move quickly to Phase 3 trials. this year.
The challenge for Dean’s neuroscience marketing and sales team will be to apply Takeda’s current mass-market approach to diseases such as major depressive disorder to smaller patient populations.
In order to do so, it is necessary to ensure that “patients and caregivers within those communities do not feel that they are receiving resources and support in an ‘infrequent’ way. “We need to think about how we can build capacity in a space where they are fully supported for all their needs (but)” ”
“We are excited to leverage the experience we have gained in neuropsychiatry to enter this next field and look to the next horizon of understanding patient and caregiver insights in rare epilepsy and narcolepsy. ” she said.
