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Law science decisions
General Counsel Brenda Hefti leads legal strategy at Exelixis, launching new oncology treatments and navigating policy challenges
In oncology biotech, legal teams sit at the center of efforts to advance science within complex regulatory and policy frameworks. At Exelixis, General Counsel Brenda Hefti, J. D., PhD embodies that role, aligning legal strategy together with scientific innovation and business goals. She helps deliver therapies to patients while guiding the company through litigation, IP strategy, regulatory hurdles, and shifting government policy, anchoring Exelixis’ s approach at the intersection of law and science.
From science to strategy
Exelixis, a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Alameda, California, has spent over 30 years developing cancer therapies. The company introduced its first U. S. Food and Drug Administration( FDA)- approved drug, COMETRIQ ®( cabozantinib), in 2012 after nearly two decades of research. That therapy now drives revenue and research investment. Recent filings show the cabozantinib franchise, marketed in the United States as CABOMETYX ® and COMETRIQ, generates over $ 2 billion in annual global revenue and supports an expanding oncology pipeline.
Brenda leads the Legal and Compliance teams, guiding Exelixis’ scientific and commercial work. In addition to these
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