Exelixis

We’ve added some great folks to our team in the last few months, like Jenna Rodeawald , and I’m excited that we have space for a couple more as we gear up for launch. Reach out to learn more about the opportunities in our Alameda office!

Thank you, Ryan Murr , Branden Berns and the other excellent legal professionals at Gibson Dunn who worked with the Cytokinetics team so effectively during an historic week for the company.

📺 What if your patients are learning medicine from TV — and that's not entirely a bad thing? Two landmark studies, separated by nearly a decade, arrived at the same striking conclusion: entertainment television is a powerful — and largely untapped — health education tool. In 2001, Brodie and colleagues at the Kaiser Family Foundation published research in Health Affairs showing that viewers of the drama ER demonstrably increased their knowledge on health topics featured in specific storylines — and some changed their intentions to seek care. The mechanism? Cultivation theory: when we're emotionally engaged in a story, we absorb the information woven into it. Then in 2008, the same research group ran the experiment again — this time with Grey's Anatomy. Working directly with the show's writers to embed a message about mother-to-child HIV transmission, they surveyed viewers before the episode, one week after, and six weeks after. The results were remarkable: 🔹 Awareness that HIV transmission from mother to child is largely preventable jumped from 15% to 61% — representing over 8 million people learning a critical health fact from a single episode 🔹 Stigmatizing attitudes toward HIV-positive women choosing to have children dropped sharply after viewing 🔹 Six weeks later, 45% of viewers still recalled the information accurately 🔹 About 3 million viewers were inspired to seek more information or talk to a healthcare provider As a physician who cares deeply about education, these findings have never left me. We invest enormous effort in CME modules, patient handouts, and discharge instructions — and all of that matters. But these studies remind us that the American public is already receiving health information constantly, through the stories they love. Entertainment media reaches people where they are: emotionally engaged, relaxed, and receptive in ways a clinical brochure simply cannot replicate. The flip side is the responsibility this creates. The same mechanism that educates can just as easily misinform. When a show dramatizes a diagnosis incorrectly or portrays treatment unrealistically, millions absorb that too. For those of us in medicine and medical education, the takeaways feel urgent: 🔹 Meet patients where they are — including in the stories they're watching 🔹 Ask "what have you seen or heard about this condition?" — because Grey's Anatomy may have answered it before you did 🔹 Partner with creators, writers, and media organizations when we can 🔹 Teach our trainees that health literacy lives far outside the clinic walls The platforms have evolved — streaming, podcasts, social media — but the core insight from both studies holds: entertainment is education, whether we intend it or not. Are we, as a medical community, showing up in those spaces thoughtfully? I think we have to. #MedicalEducation #HealthLiteracy #HealthCommunication #PatientEducation #PublicHealth #EntertainmentEducation #HollywoodHealthSociety

The Cytokinetics 2025 Corporate Responsibility Report describes the heart and soul of Cytokinetics - its workforce, its science, and most crucially, the values that drive our motivation to accomplish great and valuable things on behalf of our stakeholders. Please look through the lens of this report to learn more about CYTK during this critical year in the company’s lifecycle.

Had a great time speaking at the event.

Last year, I had the opportunity to contribute to the Media Impact Project’s research on medical accuracy in The Pitt—a series recognized for its commitment to authentic, expert‑informed storytelling. The findings highlight something powerful: when TV shows collaborate closely with medical consultants, audiences don’t just watch—they learn, feel seen, and often take action. In The Pitt, accurate depictions of organ donation and end‑of‑life care led many viewers to seek more information, demonstrating how responsible storytelling can shape real‑world understanding and behavior. Being part of this conversation reinforced why medical expertise in writers’ rooms matters. Authenticity isn’t just a detail—it’s a public health tool. #MedicalAccuracy #HealthLiteracy #HollywoodHealthAndSociety #ScienceCommunication #ThePitt #MediaImpact #StorytellingMatters #PublicHealthEducation

#ESMO25 was a success! My focus was on intensive investigator meetings strategizing on the next wave of clinical trials for our assets. • I engaged in many discussions with leading global investigators on trial designs that incorporates the new ESMO data, focusing on: • Biomarker-Driven Trials: Designing studies to better identify the patients who will benefit most from emerging therapies. • Novel Combinations: Planning the subsequent steps for agents, moving them into earlier disease settings or combining them with other innovative modalities. • Global Collaboration: Coordinating efforts across continents to ensure efficient, impactful clinical programs that accelerate drug development. The collaborative spirit was truly inspiring, solidifying our shared commitment to expediting therapeutic innovation for patients worldwide. Huge thanks to the investigators, researchers, whose dedication made this year's ESMO a remarkable success. Back to our campus to turn strategy into action!