Isolating the Leadership Gene

That was a missed opportunity. As Mullen never lets the organization forget, "It costs the same amount to develop a drug for a tiny indication as it does for something more broad. We have to have the discipline that everything we're doing is both medically and commercially important." So Mullen asked the team to take what they'd learned and develop a new molecule with Adentri's treatment qualities and more ease of use -- "so we can both lead and defend our position," he explains. Within a year, the team was back with an all-new molecule (also known as Adentri), which is already in Phase II human trials.

It was a simple solution that underscored one of Mullen's basic principles: Limits inspire as often as they inhibit. "Sometimes," says Mullen, "you get more creativity when you're in a box than when you can do anything. In really difficult situations, sometimes you get the most interesting thinking."

Senior editor Charles Fishman (cnfish@mindspring.com) wrote most recently about the B-52 bomber. Contact Jim Mullen by email (jim.c.mullen@biogen.com), or learn more about Biogen on the Web (www.biogen.com).