Kate Haviland on strategic pivots and turning a phase 3 failure into a blockbuster

Kate Haviland knows how to push through clinical setbacks and turn breakthrough science into life-changing therapies. As former CEO of Blueprint Medicines, she led the team that took Ayvakit from a failed Phase 3 to a $500M blockbuster — by cutting the dose by 87% and betting on a patient population nobody had treated before.Kate joined Sajith to talk about holding conviction despite ambiguity, earning trust from teams through uncertainty, and the capital allocation discipline that kept Blueprint focused when everything felt like a priority.Key Takeaways:▸ Blueprint's Phase 3 failure in GI stromal tumors didn't kill Ayvakit. It redirected it. Cutting the dose by 87% opened a patient population nobody had treated before and built a $500M franchise.▸ Holding conviction through ambiguity requires knowing the difference between reading data honestly and squinting to see what you want. Kate is direct about how hard that line is to walk.▸ The Sanofi acquisition came down to more than economics. What distinguished the deal was that Sanofi wanted the team, not just the assets.Chapters:[00:55] Turning a phase 3 failure into a blockbuster drug[12:10] Landing a multi-billion dollar acquisition[18:07] Why collaboration is not a zero-sum game[20:36] Why it’s not always about the deal size[23:01] A CEO’s biggest responsibilities[25:44] Building culture of empowerment and empathy[31:11] Risky bets that ultimately paid off[34:18] Advice for the next generation of scientistsAbout Kate: Kate Haviland is a life sciences executive with more than 20 years of leadership in the biopharmaceutical industry, specializing in scaling high-growth organizations, business development, portfolio strategy, investor relations, and commercial execution.She served as President and CEO of Blueprint Medicines from 2022 until its acquisition in July 2025, previously holding roles as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Business Officer, where she helped drive the company’s growth and build key corporate functions.Earlier in her career, she held leadership positions at Idera Pharmaceuticals, Sarepta Therapeutics, PTC Therapeutics, and Genzyme. Kate holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and currently serves on several boards, including Fulcrum Therapeutics, Bicara Therapeutics, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), and the Boston Museum of Science.Learn more about Blueprint Medicines: blueprintmedicines.comGuest Highlights:“It's a balance between what the data’s telling you and also understanding the limitations of any given dataset.”“If one party walks away feeling that they've gotten everything on their list, that's not going to be a successful beginning for a collaboration.”“You have to believe that being a leader is about setting this context for great people to do their best work.”Links & Resources:▸ Connect with Sajith: linkedin.com/in/sajithw▸ Connect with Kate: linkedin.com/in/kate-haviland-720aab3/