Acumen Spotlight – Virginia Kelly
Acumen’s co-founder is Dr. Virginia Kelly , a hematologist/oncologist by training. We met at Infinity Pharmaceuticals working on the duvelisib program. Right away I knew Virginia was different from many of the CMOs or medical leads I had worked with; her attention to the accuracy of data was unmatched, and she was comfortable looking under the hood of a dataset to ensure the clinical story was told as precisely and accurately as possible. Data are the foundation of our business, and after working with Virginia, I have grown even more skeptical of those industry medics who proclaim a general knowledge of the field but lack an understanding of the mechanics of drug development or the intricacies of their own data sets. They say the devil is in the details; if so, Virginia is forever on his tail, sword in hand. I have been on hand when she has saved more than a few programs from some serious data gaffes.
Another marvelous thing about Virginia is her humility. She is comfortable enough to admit when she doesn’t know the answer; in such cases she will seek as much information as she can. But importantly, she is ready to admit to the team when they need additional experience beyond what she can provide. While it might be tempting for a medical lead to feign expertise to retain status with her peers, the ability to step aside when needed, is about putting the success of the program over your own pride. I wish more of us had this ability, for how many problems are created of hubris?
Two key things Virginia has taught me:
Deeply understand the data. Anyone working in clinical development should know how data are collected and analyzed. We should all be comfortable digging and questioning, like an auditor. Sure we will unearth discrepancies, but it’s better than not knowing they exist at all.
Know your limits. There is no shame is admitting what you don’t know. Even after educating yourself, if you don’t feel qualified to make a critical decision, seek outside help – in the end, the program and patients will thank you.
Justin McLaughlin
CEO