Culture | Mirati Therapeutics, Inc.

The importance of health literacy in health equity

Q: Describe your role at Mirati?

A: At Mirati, I am one of the Sr. Regional Health Outcomes Directors who provide clinical and pharmacoeconomic data to healthcare decision makers across the US.

Q: What made you pursue a career in Pharma and specifically a role that allows you to influence the change of health outcomes?

A: As the medical point of contact for national payers and integrated delivery networks (IDNs), I have the opportunity to impact patient outcomes from a global perspective by educating healthcare decision-makers on the most up-to-date clinical & value-based data so they can make informed decisions regarding the populations they serve.

Q: As a clinician by trade, what made you want to take a role at Mirati?

A: As a patient advocate, I have been able to impact patient care in the community pharmacy space and the inpatient hospital setting. My transition to Mirati provided a unique opportunity to utilize my core clinical sets to educate and evangelize vital information to decision-makers across the US, so they can make the best decision for the large population of patients they serve.

Q: The Office of Minority Health has announced that the theme of National Minority Health Month (this month) is “Better Help Through Better Understanding”. What are your thoughts on the connectivity between of health literacy and the gap in health equity?

A: An investment in health literacy is an investment in health equity. The need to improve the quality of care all healthcare Americans receive, remains a critical goal. To achieve this goal, one must evaluate what information is delivered to patients, because this is an indicator of quality. To delivery high quality safe and high value cares, healthcare ecosystems must provide information that people can easily find, understand, and use, so if we want to achieve health equity, we need to make health literacy a priority.

Q: From your perspective, what are the biggest barriers to health equity, specifically for cancer patients?

A: In order to advance health equity here in the US, we must address the multitude of structural barriers in place. Some of these include the lack of people of color in clinical research, the dearth of appropriate representation of people of color in oncology-both clinical and industry, and institutional inequities such as the lack of community partnerships to promote engagement of core medical needs.

Q: Mirati launched the HBCU Speaker Series which is designed to address one of our core goals of developing the next generation of STEM leaders, especially with the communities of color who are largely underrepresented. Can you elaborate on how this program came to life and the projected impact this will have on PharmD and PH.D. students attending Historical Black Colleges and Universities?

A: The HBCU Speaker Series was born from the internal DEI committee, specifically the community pillar. One of the primary goals of the community pillar is to transform our relationships with local communities across the US through active partnerships across healthcare and education. The HBCU speaker series aids in this cultivation of exposing underrepresented PharmD and Ph.D. students to non-traditional career paths, such as opportunities to work in biotechnology Pharma industries. Pharma plays a vital role in advancing health equity, and having people employed that represent the communities we serve is an essential component to reaching DEI goals in clinical research and beyond.

Q: What is your personal perspective of the importance of sustaining a culture of inclusion to strengthen, inspire and cultivate a culture of belonging at Mirati?

A: Data has consistently shown that diverse and inclusive organizations perform better and produce better results. In pharma, developing an internal culture that fosters a sense of inclusivity can also impact how we strategize with external stakeholders to impact health equity across the healthcare continuum.

Innovation with a purpose — Early discovery employee spotlight

Q: Title and quick explanation of what you do at Mirati?

A: I am an Associate Director of Biology in the Research Group here at Mirati. I serve as the non-clinical pharmacology representative on the SOS1 program, as well as early-stage discovery programs including SOS1/2, and am responsible for supporting lead candidate characterization and selection for IND-enabling studies. I lead a team of incredibly talented scientists on preclinical translational research focused on informing clinical strategy.

Q: What made you pursue a career as a scientist?

A: For me, it was a fortuitous blend of both nature and nurture. Although I grew up in a family of passionate academic chemists that fostered my interest in science, I’ve always been very curious about biology and the cosmos from an early age. In kindergarten, I enjoyed playing the electronic board game “Operation” with my older sister and was awed by the complexity of the human body. A few years later, I learned about the solar system and was fascinated by astronomy and the Big Bang Theory. I’d map out the constellations at night with my telescope and read all about the planets in my Britannica Encyclopedia set. I was amazed to discover that Earth was the only planet suitable for life due to its 78% Nitrogen:21% Oxygen atmospheric composition. Why are these elements so important for life to exist? How does a chemical imbalance lead to disease? These were a couple of the questions that led me to pursue my education in science, particularly Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and further apply my knowledge as a scientist to discover cures for human ailments. Years later, I remain inquisitive and enthusiastic as a drug hunter, working together with my colleagues to discover therapies that can improve the lives of cancer patients and their loved ones.

Q: Why Mirati? In all the companies pursuing science, what made you pick this one?

A: From my own research experience in a variety of disease indications, what I quickly learned is that both drug (target) selectivity and drug resistance are reoccurring problems in the field. Undesirable side effects lead to poor patient compliance and eventually lower response rates for diseases with unmet medical needs. I was interested in pursuing an opportunity in precision medicine, where I could apply my skillset towards the discovery of a targeted lung cancer therapy, to honor my family and others affected by this top cause of cancer death worldwide. It seemed to be the “right time” in my career, and Mirati, a company at the forefront of precision medicine, was the “right place”. I was ready to make significant contributions towards bringing best-in-class novel targeted therapies to cancer patients in need.

Q: Describe the journey that brought you to Mirati?

A: Following my academic training at UCLA, I completed a postdoctoral fellowship right down the street at Novartis and gained expertise in genomics-based target discovery for the treatment of neglected infectious diseases. Most notably, our team’s work led to the discovery of a first-in-class parasite-selective proteasome inhibitor LXE408 that is currently being evaluated in Phase II clinical trials for visceral leishmaniasis. I then went on to pursue roles as a Group Leader/Principal Research Scientist in both academic and pharmaceutical research settings, where I focused my efforts on early-stage target-based drug discovery in the fields of women’s health, metabolic and GI disorders. Although my experience was in multiple disease areas, a common theme connecting all of them is drug resistance, a problem constantly being tackled in the oncology field and one that piqued my interest. After a few years of research under my belt, I came to a point in my career where I was ready to dive deeper into preclinical work and focus on delivering safe and efficacious therapies directly to patients. Simultaneously, I came to a point in my personal life where my father-in-law was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer and felt the urgent need to shift gears to cancer research to honor my family, which has lost three dear fathers to this horrible disease. I became hyper-focused on finding an opportunity to apply my knowledge towards the discovery of a novel cancer drug for the treatment of lung cancer and applied for an opening in the research group led by oncology experts Jake Haling, Pete Olson, and Jamie Christensen at Mirati. I was thrilled to join their team in April 2021, ready to work relentlessly to bring a SOS1 inhibitor to the clinic.

Q: During your time at Mirati have you witnessed a significant growth in the science, innovation, and capabilities? Feel free to elaborate.

A: I joined the team in April 2021 and since then, have observed significant growth in the translational research workstreams focused on expanding the potential of our precision oncology therapies. We have developed a pipeline of targeted medications and are exploring additional rational combination strategies to make a broader impact and also combat drug resistance in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and mesothelioma. I am excited to contribute to these efforts that will bring transformative therapies to a greater number of patients in the clinic.

Q: As a scientist it can take years for you to see results. What keeps you motivated when you know that out of 10-15 drugs created, only 1 may go into a patient?

A: This statistic keeps me both motivated and dedicated to conducting high quality translational research that will positively impact patients. My relentless pursuit of finding cures for patients would normally lead to many ideas which I am thrilled to pursue and bring to fruition even though I know only a handful of those will actually be accepted by stakeholders. As drug discovery scientists, we maximize our efforts to conduct streamlined experiments that specifically address the question at hand. We get excited by positive results, learn from unexpected results, and push forward to answer new questions that inevitably arise. We are constantly challenged and refining our skillset to both discover and deliver the safest, most efficacious therapy to patients to improve their quality and length of lives. Even if it is only one drug that goes into a patient, this was the result of years of hard work by hundreds of scientists, and we are making a difference. Any benefit to humanity as a whole is clearly a win, and I am hopeful and 100% committed to this noble cause.

Q: As you reflect on all the great work you have contributed at Mirati, what do you think are the key ingredients to your success?

A: It was an honor to be selected to be a part of the amazing research group here. I was provided the opportunity and the facility to discover new therapies for cancer patients in need and I am collaborating with an incredible team of scientists for a common goal. Our team’s success is the result of our collective dedication to one another, our patients, and the cutting-edge and highly impactful science we work on. We build fruitful partnerships with our colleagues in the drug discovery, DMPK, CMC, clinical pharmacology, and project management groups to create first-in-class therapies. We are nimble, creative, filled with passion and grit, and ready to take on any challenge that comes our way.

Q: What is your personal perspective of the importance of sustaining a culture of inclusion to strengthen, inspire and cultivate a culture of belonging at Mirati?

A: Creating a culture of inclusion is a top priority for me as a group leader and female scientist. I firmly believe that, in order to support all of our colleagues from various backgrounds, it is imperative to acknowledge, embrace and celebrate each person’s individuality and to create opportunities for each of us to succeed in our common goal of bringing transformative therapies to cancer patient with unmet medical needs. I personally find it critical to generate open dialogues in order to better gauge the current state of team culture and to learn how I can proactively implement fair and sustainable solutions to maximize employee visibility and engagement. Furthermore, with an AIM employee recognition system in place and various forums to spotlight diverse experiences (such as this!), I believe that we will continue to encourage and inspire one another to work relentlessly towards achieving Mirati goals.

Q: What do you think is unique about Mirati, relative to other Biopharma companies with respect to cancer targets we pick and approaches we take to tackle these diseases?

A: From my experience, Mirati’s approach to cancer discovery is highly patient focused with an attitude of as fast as possible. Our top-notch research leadership team is determined and very keen on selecting cancer targets that are novel, selective, and significantly impactful with regards to the breadth and number of patients that can positively be impacted. We pursue targets that can combine rationally with our current assets for the quickest path to patients or ones that directly address emerging drug resistance and/or significant unmet medical needs. New targets are well researched and presented at a forum of key stakeholders from both drug discovery and research teams, with input and rigorous discussion encouraged to maximize our efforts on the fastest timeline possible. The highly collaborative team efforts have culminated in four IND applications and an NDA submission with subsequent accelerated approval of KRAZATI™, all in the last 15 months. We are creating a better life for cancer patients who are resistant to CPI therapy or harbor MTAP deletions, KRAS^G12C and KRAS^G12D mutations, and there is no other team I’d rather work on to bring precision oncology therapies to the clinic.

Creating a successful commercial organization: Delivering against our promise to help people living with cancer

Throughout my career, I’ve sought opportunities to work with outstanding scientists, drug developers and commercialization colleagues to partner on innovations that can have a substantial impact on human health. Once you have been part of a team delivering transformative outcomes to patients, you don’t want to do anything else. Nothing scares me more than wasting a career on mediocrity. That innate drive to create solutions for difficult challenges, as well as a desire to make a significant impact on human outcomes, has fueled my commitment to people living with cancer. It’s the same fire that motivates so many of my colleagues at Mirati: Despite the challenge, we are relentlessly focused on creating better options to enable a life beyond cancer for patients and their families.

Despite the challenge, we are relentlessly focused on creating better options to enable a life beyond cancer for patients and their families.

Our pipeline, and now, our products, are proof of our commitment to patients. The KRAS^G12C mutation is notoriously challenging, despite being the most commonly occurring KRAS mutation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).¹ Understanding the challenge and need for innovation, our scientists set out to create and deliver better treatments for patients. Now, there is a new option.

We are proud of our products’ potential as a new treatment option, and we’re especially excited to bring these life-changing options to people living with cancer. It’s not enough to create a new innovation; to ensure patient impact, they, their caretakers and their doctors must be educated about their treatment options, and they must have access. Mirati is working to ensure people living with cancer will have unrestricted and affordable patient access through competitive pricing, support services such as Mirati & Me and partnerships across the nation with community oncologists and distributors. We are also working to educate both patients and oncologists, as well as increasing testing and patient identification efforts, to ensure people living with cancer are matched with treatments that best meet their needs.

After more than 20 years of building and leading commercialization functions and capabilities at various organizations, I’m proud of the relentless dedication of Mirati’s team to improving the lives of people with cancer and the high level of scientific innovation we’ve maintained. We’re excited to continue driving value for the cancer community, and we have great potential to change people’s lives through our therapies.

I’m proud of the relentless dedication of Mirati’s team to improving the lives of people with cancer and the high level of scientific innovation we’ve maintained.

At Mirati’s core is a willingness to learn, explore and adapt. By staying open to diverse perspectives and mindsets, we are able to continuously improve our work and make new discoveries. Mirati’s discovery programs are prime examples of this—our scientific curiosity will propel our future success as we continue developing and discovering new therapies in the targeted oncology space.

As we look to the future, Mirati has the opportunity to establish new standards of care for people living with cancer affected by the KRAS^G12C mutation globally. Through our products and pipeline, our potential for patient impact is significant. This opportunity means we needed to create, and now, sustain a commercial vehicle to deliver on our promise to patients and commitment to shareholders.

With the wealth of opportunity in our pipeline and our team driven, patient first culture, we have the opportunity to drive commercialization success, and deliver life-changing medicines to people living with cancer.

Pakkala S, Ramalingam SS. Personalized therapy for lung cancer: striking a moving target. JCI Insight. 2018;3(15):e120858. doi:10.1172/jci.insight.120858

How innovation has the potential to change patients’ lives

Today, the Mirati Drug Discovery, Research and Early Development teams are exceptional and productive groups of scientists working across all stages of the project initiation, discovery and early drug development process. This growth has been one of the biggest and most vital, changes for Mirati, as it has allowed our innovation to continue. We are now able to capitalize on our successes, grow our capabilities and advance our portfolio of life-changing therapies.

As a scientist, I love the thrill of making new discoveries and solving the different challenges that arise. I’m thrilled about our discovery and development projects, which pursue greater innovations and explore breakthroughs that have the potential to target cancer. Our discovery projects begin by identifying tumor-driving cellular processes in cancer patients and continues when we bring together scientists from the Drug Discovery and Research teams to identify new molecules with the potential to precisely target those processes.

The discovery of a potential new medicine can be lengthy and difficult, and we must sometimes create hundreds or even thousands of unique compounds before we find one that has the potential to be an investigational new drug candidate. The Drug Discovery group’s collaboration with other Mirati teams–including Research, Drug Metabolism and Early Development–helps us determine which compounds to pursue and advance toward clinical development. Once a therapy enters clinical trials, we are hopeful about the value our drug candidates may have for patients and excited to hear about the progress of those clinical studies.

When I first started at Mirati, we had the desire to make a difference in patients’ lives, which fueled us to expand and advance our portfolio of life-changing therapies. Our sustained commitment to innovation, growing talent across various teams and dedication to improving patients’ lives provides us the opportunity to continue developing a broad portfolio of targeted oncology projects.

During our rapid growth, one thing has remained constant at Mirati: our common commitment to discover and develop new treatments with the potential to transform the lives of patients living with cancer. We have been–and will always be–a patient-centric organization, and our focus on improving patients’ lives is what drives us forward.

Mirati remains committed to raise funds for cancer research at Padres Pedal the Cause 2022

Mirati believes that supporting our local community is as important as the research we do. We have channeled that belief into an extensive history of supporting community-based organizations, with continued focus on our mission to discover, design and deliver breakthrough therapies to transform the lives of patients with cancer and their loved ones. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without the perseverance and commitment of our employees who strive to achieve our mission and positively impact the communities around them.

Padres Pedal’s annual event was held on April 9, 2022, at Petco Park. It was the first in-person event in over two years due to the pandemic. Participation could come in various ways such as in-person cycling, a 5K walk/run, spin or virtual participation.

Mirati pledged a fundraising goal of $25,000, and our employees exceeded expectations in their commitment to fight against cancer by raising over $37,500 for the event. Team Mirati got creative with their fundraising efforts and held companywide events which included a comedy night, toffee sales and an internally organized Peloton ride to raise awareness for cancer research. Forty-two employees registered to participate in this year’s event with many additional employees showing support to individual participants or by donating to Team Mirati.

Our belief is that transforming the lives of those with cancer is more than a job – it’s the chance to be part of something game-changing.

“I am proud of Team Mirati’s efforts at this year’s Padres Pedal the Cause to help support funding cancer research,” said James Christensen, PhD., chief scientific officer, Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. “We are unified by our passion for helping patients and are inspired by a single vision – to unlock the science behind the promise of a life beyond cancer. Our belief is that transforming the lives of those with cancer is more than a job – it’s the chance to be part of something game-changing.”

Mirati was also the corporate sponsor of the Padres Pedal the Cause 2022 Featured Fighters. This initiative highlighted videos from three members of our community who have inspired others with their courage, warmth and dedication to creating a world without cancer.

A sincere thank you to Team Mirati for all you do to positively impact the lives of cancer patients, their families and our San Diego community, and for bringing so much team spirit while you do it!

“I’m grateful for Mirati’s continued partnership in supporting Padres Pedal the Cause which brings together thousands of participants each year to raise money for life saving cancer research,” said Anne Marbarger, chief executive officer, Curebound. “A sincere thank you to Team Mirati for all you do to positively impact the lives of cancer patients, their families and our San Diego community, and for bringing so much team spirit while you do it!”

The power of self advocacy

Below, Lamisa answers questions based on her experience and offers valuable advice about how, and why, it is important to advocate for yourself throughout your career.

Q. When did you learn the power of self-advocacy?

A. I’m a physician by training and before I came to the U.S. for business school, I practiced in India and the U.K. When I started my career and first job in the U.S., I didn’t realize the importance of advocating for myself. I thought I would be considered for the best opportunities simply because my work was so good. But then, I saw myself passed over for new opportunities because I was in the background. This is what changed my perspective. It is important to speak up for yourself. Once I recognized that, I identified my interests, career goals, and how I was positioned for certain opportunities – then I started advocating for myself. This helped me find the right opportunities to advance and best contribute to the company’s success, and my own.

I also noticed throughout my career that people can be subconsciously blind. I used to believe people did not notice skin color, gender, or nationality, but, subconscious bias is real. I believe it is important to remind others what sets you apart.

Q. Is there particular advice that you find yourself giving to other women?

A. Yes. It is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. At times, it can feel as though we are on this milestone-based path and that everything is time bound. Many people can start believing “I need to be manager in two years” or “I need to be VP in four years” and can forget the big picture of what they are trying to accomplish.

When I became a mom, I realized that I am in a completely new category, and I am stretching myself so much. Do I really want to put myself out for a promotion at this time? Can I take more responsibilities or extend my bandwidth and be able to do it justice? If that ‘bigger’ title came two or four years later, does that hurt me? I believe women tend think we need to do “better” all the time. We constantly set what I think are impossible targets or deadlines for ourselves and ultimately harm ourselves trying to reach them.

Q. What are your views on imposter syndrome?

A. It is real. I have felt it several times and I believe women may especially feel the effects of this ‘syndrome’. Some women tend to undersell themselves so when they land in positions they believe they are not qualified for, they feel like an imposter. When considering a job opportunity, I recommend overcoming imposter syndrome by getting into the mindset of the hiring manager who is likely considering whether the potential employee could hit all of the qualifications within a 6–12-month period. This is typically more important than a candidate immediately meeting all of the requirements when hired.

Another facet of advocating for yourself is establishing boundaries at work. Lamisa discussed how she does this to create a successful work/life balance. She also offers her perspective on leadership and why she chose to work at Mirati.

Q. Why are boundaries important at work? Do you set boundaries for yourself?

A. They are critical for ensuring people you work with know what is acceptable and what is not. I believe it is important to establish boundaries upfront or else it can potentially create awkwardness later.

As a working parent of two toddlers, time is precious. I have hard starts and stops. Weekends are off-limits. An understanding boss helps; for me it was easy to align on boundaries and expectations upfront. Ambition and desire to please everybody can get in the way, so I recommend being deliberate about setting boundaries and adhering to them, setting the example for your team to follow.

Q. What makes a strong leader, in your experience?

A. To me, leadership is about inspiring and motivating a team to deliver their best every day. A strong leader is someone who is humble, a good listener, authentic and compassionate. A strong leader ultimately needs to be able to adapt to meet the needs of the team on any given day.

Q. How do you lift up your team or other colleagues to help them grow their careers?

A. My goal is to understand what that individual wants to do within their career. For example, where do they see themselves in one to two years. Then based on that information I seek to engineer specific experiences, or exposure to specific people, or train them for specific skills that will help them reach their goals. Understanding where employees want to go helps me help them to do so within their current position.

Q. Considering the breadth of this industry, why did you choose to work at Mirati?

A. I chose Mirati because I was fascinated by the science, and I thought it was a very innovative company. I also fell in love with the people that I spoke to as part of my hiring process. I was amazed at what the people I spoke to brought to the table and how much I would get to learn working with them. I was excited about kind of impact that I would be able to have.

I loved that Mirati was thinking about digital innovation. Although we are a small, but growing biotech, we have bold ambitions. Today’s world is increasingly digital. There are infinite technologies that can simplify or automate our business process or allow us to get closer to patient and physicians in a just-in-time manner. These technologies are generating millions of data points, which when analyzed, can inform critical business decisions and allow us to serve our patients and physicians better.

Why I’m optimistic about the future of targeted oncology

As originally published on LinkedIn

Over the past 26 years, the overall cancer death rate in the U.S. has fallen significantly, driven by improvements for four major cancers, including lung cancer.¹ Yet, in the U.S., almost 609,360 deaths from cancer are expected in 2022 – that’s about 1,670 deaths per day.²

It’s a stark reminder that the promise of science to deliver for patients has never been greater and our work in targeted oncology has never been more important.

I learned some of the most important professional lessons of my life early on in my career – and that is you have to be courageous, accountable and lead with open-minded empathy no matter the challenge, and importantly, work with a sense of urgency.

At Mirati Therapeutics, our team lives these values so that we can positively impact the lives of those living with cancer.

As I recently shared at the 40^th Annual Virtual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, this is a transformative time for Mirati and we have tremendous opportunity ahead of us.

I’m excited about what 2022 will bring for patients with cancer.

I strongly believe Mirati is built to deliver a sustainable flow of innovative targeted cancer medicines. Our strategy, which has been consistent from the day we were founded, is to double down on investigating the genetic and immunological drivers of cancer. We have the capabilities and discipline to have a meaningful impact.

And we’re delivering.

There is strong momentum with our two late-stage programs and a significant near-term launch opportunity for a type of mutated lung cancer.

What I’m even more excited about is the breadth and depth of our pipeline and scientific platforms, including our potentially best-in-class programs like PRMT5, SOS1, and next-gen KRAS inhibitors, all of which are backed by the right expertise and resources.

What it comes down to though, is the people.

Our people are passionate about the work we do for patients, and have tremendous energy about the possibilities ahead.

All of this to say, I am optimistic about the future of Mirati because we have bold science, the best talent and a well-defined path to sustainable growth.

I look forward to sharing my perspective along the way.

Operating with a growth mindset

The urgency with which we work enables our organization to build from the great work and culture that has been established our humble start nearly ten years ago.

We proudly remain a nimble biotech focused on challenging areas and novel programs – we are not seeking incremental innovation, but on areas that can have a transformative impact for patients.

Our culture is one that values the team over the individual, bold action and an ability to move quickly. We chart our own path.

Truly listening to the people closest to the challenge is an important part of our success.

As we grow and advance our clinical-stage pipeline and approach commercialization, I like to think we prioritize listening and learning over speaking. Finding the right experts both inside and outside the company is essential to filling important gaps and addressing key risks.

I personally spend time with our new team members to talk about the risks of only relying on what you have done before and ensuring that prior experience is not an impediment to relearning new skills or addressing the unique challenges and opportunities we have. Truly listening to the people closest to the challenge is an important part of our success.

Mirati is filled with individuals who have valuable perspectives that will help us to advance our patient-focused goals, but we must first understand what has been done before. Once we understand, we need to operate with a growth mindset, learn from the lessons that came before us, and progress quickly toward the future.

To me, being relentless means we are not anchored in one place. We are constantly learning, improving and moving forward. My team and fellow colleagues “show up” every day, work hard to achieve our shared goals, and constantly put into action innovative ideas to help patients as quickly as possible.

A culture designed to unleash the potential of our people

“We are purposefully building a collaborative team to tackle the problem of understanding and treating cancer head on,” says Jamie Christensen, chief scientific officer, Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. “Bringing together unique skillsets across translational research and discovery science, we are exclusively and aggressively focused on programs where existing interventions are unknown or insufficient.”

Our labs are set up to be integrated so that all disciplines in R&D can benefit from one another and help rapidly share ideas.

From seating charts to lab configurations, we are aspiring to maximize collaboration, curiosity, and our drive to do more for patients.

“We have an open office setting providing an opportunity to intermingle different functions and teams,” says Jamie. “Our labs are set up to be integrated so that all disciplines in R&D can benefit from one another and help rapidly share ideas.”

The Mirati culture is designed to unleash the potential of our science and our people by creating an environment that fosters open-mindedness and collaboration as we seek to transform the lives of patients with cancer. The company’s more than 320 employees are uniformly focused on patients by trying to make a difference with our science and in our communities.

“Where we differentiate ourselves is that we believe in advancing innovative oncology medicines focused on areas with significant unmet needs. Our portfolio is built on what is right in front us – we simply accept the challenge,” says Jamie. “The goal is to do things in a way that will help solve specific problems for identifiable patients by targeting the genetic and immunological drivers of cancer.”

Bridging R&D and the real world

Kelly Covello, head of Medical Affairs, shares a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the dynamic work of the Mirati Medical Affairs team and how their work intersects with patients, patient advocacy groups and healthcare professionals.