The Courage to Change: What’s at Stake if We Don’t Try

I recently came across an interesting quote from author Mary Anne Radmacher that said, “Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow.”

As I read this quote several times, I realized that it perfectly described my journey during the last several decades. Throughout my career, I have always wanted to help people. Broad, I know, but an important guidepost that has required some “roaring,” but even more trying again (and again). Like all of us, courage is a part of my DNA and daily life, but what I have learned is that it shows up in different ways while on that bumpy path to success. 

Business Courage

More than 10 years ago, when a handful of dedicated people and I set out to create the Horizon of today, we did not have a lot from a financial standpoint. The company was literally living paycheck to paycheck, and I lost count of how many discussions I had where people questioned me about if we would make it or not. As we worked to stay afloat, we knew that we only had enough cash to last through the first quarter, so we negotiated a merger with a private European company - which ultimately brought us a medicine, 30 million dollars, and effectively saved the company. We took a chance, but knew we had something worth saving and building, so we kept trying. 

During the last three years, my courage, as well as the courage of the company, has manifested itself in a new way. Horizon has completely changed its business strategy – moving from a solely commercial-focused company to a more research and development-focused company. It was the right time to change direction and I knew, as I did 10 years ago, that it was important to keep trying and to keep building, as there was more work to do. However, it was going to take a lot of courage. Building a pipeline is daunting and may seem insurmountable, but it is necessary, particularly in rare diseases where there are under-served people who desperately need treatment. So far, there have been some obstacles and will continue to be obstacles along the way, but based on our collective experiences, I am confident that we will meet and continue to meet them head on.

Scientific Courage (and the Courage to Fail)

Scientific courage requires the steadfast resolution to research areas that others will not. In 2016, a Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating one of our medicines in people with a rare disease called Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) did not meet its primary endpoint. The FA community was devastated and so were the Horizon employees who had worked tirelessly with the community. My colleagues and I were determined to “try again tomorrow.”

Six months later, we acquired a medicine with promising Phase 2 results in a rare condition called thyroid eye disease (TED) and conducted a Phase 3 trial that recently met its primary endpoint. The treatment showed dramatic results in patients with TED and I am hopeful that the medicine will be on the market in 2020 as these patients have no FDA-approved treatment options.

It took a great deal of courage to try again – to continue to research and find answers that may lead to new, better treatments for patients who are impacted by rare diseases.

If my colleagues and I do not keep trying, innovation does not happen. We will fail again, but know just as our patients are courageous for us, we have to be courageous for them.

Courage to Change

Today, Horizon unveiled a new company name and brand, which took some personal courage on my part. As I have been fortunate enough to lead our company, I have grown attached to our colors and logo. For the past 10 years, these core pieces have been a part of my identity. However, as our company has evolved, so too must our visual presence and I knew it was time to make a change.

Our new brand tells a powerful story. The four bars in the logo represent patients, caregivers, physicians, communities and form an invisible H, which represents Horizon’s role in uniting each group to make the world a healthier place. The colors symbolize the rising dawn over the “Horizon” and our promise to challenged and overlooked communities. 

This is who we are and what we represent - and I am proud. My promise to all of you is this: my colleagues and I will continue to move forward, with courage, a little roaring and a lot of trying again, to help make the world a healthier place, even if it takes us a lifetime.