Maky Zanganeh

BIO:

Name: Dr. Maky Zanganeh
Title/Position: Co-CEO & President (and Board Member), Summit Therapeutics
Industry: Biotechnology, oncology, surgical robotics
Location: Miami, Florida, USA
Age: Born 1970 (age 54 in 2025)
Net Worth: Approx. $1.4–1.5 billion (2025)

A photo of Maky Zanganeh — As seen on Maky Zanganeh’s Instagram

Dr. Maky Zanganeh’s Story

Dr. Maky Zanganeh is a global billionaire biotech leader whose journey started in an unlikely place. Born in Tehran in 1970, she weathered the Iranian Revolution and the traumas of war. One night, tear gas and gunfire shattered her neighbourhood but come morning, young Maky and her sisters still had to get ready for school. That steely composure would become her trademark.

Her family fled to Germany, where she continued her studies and later reunited with her sisters in Strasbourg, France—earning a Doctor of Dental Surgery at Louis Pasteur University. But dentistry felt too limiting for her. An MBA followed at Schiller International University, and soon she entered the cutting edge world of surgical robotics at Computer Motion Inc. in 1998.

Her leadership shone brightest during Operation Lindbergh in 200, the world’s first robotic surgery performed across the Atlantic, from New York to France. Demonstrating that distance could no longer limit lifesaving care.

She then transitioned into biotech with Pharmacyclics. As COO, she helped develop ibrutinib (Imbruvica®) , a ground breaking oral therapy for blood cancers. Under her strategic vision, Pharmacyclics struck a multimillion-dollar licensing deal with Johnson & Johnson in 2011 and was later acquired by AbbVie for $21 billion in 2015—a seismic moment in biopharma history.

In 2019, life turned deeply personal: Maky was diagnosed with breast cancer. A survivor herself, she endured treatment during the early days of the COVID‑19 pandemic and emerged with renewed purpose.

In November 2020, she took on the role of COO at Summit Therapeutics. Within two years, she rose to Co‑CEO & President, steering the biotech from near zero revenue to a successful enterprise. She and her husband Bob Duggan, who joined her at Summit and whom she married in 2024, licensed ivonescimab. A cancer drug candidate now outperforming blockbuster Keytruda in trials and potentially disrupting lung-cancer treatment. Summit’s market value surged, and her personal net worth hit roughly $1.4–1.5 billion.

Career Highlights

Key Milestones:

1995: Earned DDS from Louis Pasteur University (Strasbourg).
1998: MBA from Schiller International University; begins at Computer Motion.
2001: Operation Lindbergh—the first transatlantic robotic surgery.
2011: Pharma licensing deal for ibrutinib; wins “Best Biotech Transaction.”
2015: Pharmacyclics acquired by AbbVie for $21 billion; wins Prix Galien.
2019–20: Cancer diagnosis and treatment during COVID‑19.
2020: Joins Summit Therapeutics as COO.
2022: Named Co‑CEO & President; featured among “21 Women Who Made CEO in 2022.”
2025: Listed #23 on Forbes’ America’s Richest Self-Made Women; net worth ~$1.4–1.5 billion.

Achievements:

Imbruvica (ibrutinib): Revolutionized treatment for blood cancers.
Prix Galien “Best Pharmaceutical Agent” (2015).
Fierce Biotech “Top Women in Biotech” (2013).
EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist (2013).
UN Speaker, Women & Girls in Science Assembly (2022).
Author of bestselling memoir The Magic of Normal: Hope, Love and Beyond (2025).

Dr. Zanganeh Net Worth

Dr. Zanganeh’s wealth stems from a mix of:

Backed by breakthroughs in oncology and biotech innovation like ivonescimab.

Early investments in Pharmacyclics—yielding significant return after the $21 billion acquisition.

Equity holdings at Summit Therapeutics (nearly 5%), now valued heavily due to stock surges.

Executive leadership roles and compensation packages.

Dr. Zanganeh in the News

Forbes (August 2025): Ranked #23 among America’s Richest Self-Made Women, net worth near $1.4 billion.
Forbes profile (June 2025): Chronicles her journey from war‑torn Tehran to biotech billionaire and marriage to Bob Duggan. Fires up readers with her resilient spirit.
DailySurfMedia (June 2025): Titles her “Biotech’s Iron Lady”; highlights her $1.5 billion fortune and transformation of health care.

Quotes by Dr. Maky Zanganeh

“Take responsibility, and the ability will follow.”
“Follow your dreams, move forward. Life is in front of you, not behind you.”
“A 2 % chance is not a 0 % chance… We fight until the body can no longer carry us—and never give up.”