The Importance Of Mentorship: Turning Scientists Into Leaders
Executive Summary
Merck’s head of clinical immunology and 2022 Rising Leader Aileen Pangan is empowering researchers to become leaders through a highly tailored and honest approach to mentorship.
Rising Leaders Home
Immunology is not the first therapeutic area that springs to mind when one thinks of Merck & Co., Inc. but the pharma major’s immunology clinical research head, Aileen Pangan, is determined to change this. Pangan spoke to In Vivo about mentorship, leadership skills and translating success across therapeutic areas.
‘Stumbling’ Upon Industry
When asked about her career milestones, Pangan mentioned her contribution to developing two successful drugs at AbbVie Inc., TNF-alpha blocker Humira (adalimumab) and JAK inhibitor Rinvoq (upadacitinib). “I led the program for Humira for non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis leading to a first ever approval in that indication. It was a daunting task because there was no precedent to follow and I’m really proud of that achievement,” she explained.
Pangan speaks with an effusive warmth and it comes as a surprise that she had not always envisioned a career in R&D. “I hadn’t planned to work in industry and it’s not something they teach you about in medical school,” she mused. Pangan moved to the US after graduating from medical school at the University of the Philippines. She did an internal residency program at Rush University Medical Center followed by a rheumatology fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital under Harvard Medical School, later working as a rheumatologist.
Aileen Pangan
“I started speaking to one of my former attending physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital who had moved to industry, and he strongly recommended I try working in industry,” she said. This small interaction helped spark an impressive career including big names such as Abbott and AbbVie. Pangan’s interests are not limited to drug development, however. “I have two passions: a passion for clinical research and a passion for training and developing people,” she stated.
Teaching and transferring technical skills are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to mentorship. “When I was in academic medicine, I sought a mentor who could help me with a variety of skills and teach me how to become a good clinician, researcher and eventually a good leader,” she explained. As head of clinical immunology at Merck, Pangan hopes to advance scientists into leadership roles, where a collaborative attitude is crucial.
Find out who else made the list for 2022's the top 30 Rising Leaders.
“It takes a village to develop a drug. The process is not only driven by physicians and scientists, but partners across a range of functional expertise. As a leader, you have to work with the understanding that one person alone cannot do all the work,” Pangan said. She touted the ideal of a ‘servant leader’, someone who not only gives direction and makes executive decisions but also motivates and enables a team of people to work together cohesively.
Pangan’s approach to mentoring leaders is, above all, tailored to the individual. “I always start by talking to my mentee, asking why they are in their role, what personally motivates them and where they want to be in the future. It takes a while to get to know somebody properly, it’s not just a matter of one or two sessions,” she emphasizes. After developing a deep understanding of the mentee’s motivation, Pangan introduces them to relevant opportunities and puts them in touch with helpful contacts.
However, the mentorship process is not always sunshine and rainbows. “There were times when I had to tell direct reports their performance or behavior was not aligned with our expectations or when I had to advise more realism about their goals and the timing for when they can achieve them,” Pangan reflected. “I think my own mentoring relationships were successful because people were honest with me. They told me when I was not ready for something and what I needed to do to be ready,” she added.
Translating Success From Immuno-Oncology
Pangan said she was drawn to Merck because of its recent commitment to build the immunology therapeutic area, particularly with its acquisition of an IL-2 mutein program. Last year, the major acquired Pandion Therapeutics, Inc. and its pipeline of immune modulators for $1.9bn, including lead asset PT101, an engineered IL-2 mutein fused to a protein backbone to activate and expand regulatory T cells for the treatment of ulcerative colitis and other autoimmune diseases. (Also see "Merck & Co. Buys Pandion, Building Out Capability In Autoimmune Disease" - Scrip, 25 Feb, 2021.) “The IL2 approach is still in its early stages but it is a paradigm shift in the treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases,” Pangan said.
The Pandion deal came as a surprise seeing that Merck was not considered a leader in immunology, although it had a strong track record in immuno-oncology. Pangan hopes to extrapolate the firm’s success from the latter to the former. “In immuno-oncology they try to ramp up the immune system to kill cancer cells, but in immunology we try to turn down the immune system to abrogate immune-mediated inflammatory response,” Pangan explained. While these are opposing goals, both require a deep understanding of the immune system and different targets amenable to treatment goals, so there are several opportunities for cross-team learning, she said.
"There is a lot of good science and good work being done by biotech and other smaller companies. We want to make sure that Merck can invest in both internal efforts and external opportunities."
Pangan said the company is focused on areas with the greatest unmet need or those where therapeutic options are available but there is room for raising the efficacy bar. Merck could also develop drugs tailored to an identifiable subgroups of patients within a disease, she added.
The major will utilize internal resources and in-licence from other firms to build up its immunology pipeline. “There is a lot of good science and good work being done by biotech and other smaller companies. We want to make sure that Merck can invest in both internal efforts and external opportunities, where they fit within our strategy,” Pangan concluded.