In This Newsletter
New FasterCures Team Member
Policy Updates
Events and Convenings Recap
FasterCures in the Community
FasterCures in the Media
Upcoming Event: Global Conference
Stay in the Know
New FasterCures Team Member
Please join us in welcoming June Cha to the FasterCures team. Cha joined the team in March as our new policy director. She brings decades of experience in infectious diseases research, nonprofit, multilateral, and bilateral organizations, government, and the pharmaceutical industry, where she has focused on US and global health policy and program strategies across the health care ecosystem.
Policy Updates
New Resource: Milken Institute Policy Priorities
Milken Institute’s policy priorities and solutions for 2024 document outlines the areas where we are shaping and advancing solutions to health challenges. Priorities for accelerating biomedical innovation include biomedical research and development, patient-centered perspectives, technological advances in therapies and diagnostics, pandemic preparedness, and antimicrobial resistance.
Statement on the UNGA Zero-Draft Resolution on AMR
FasterCures prepared a statement on the urgent need to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in advance of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) high-level meeting on AMR this September. We emphasized AMR’s global threat and the need for coordinated action across sectors and nations. Key points include the potentially catastrophic impact on health care, economies, and food security if AMR is not addressed promptly. We also highlighted the importance of innovative solutions, investment in research and development, and enhanced international collaboration to combat AMR effectively.
Request for Information on Improving Americans’ Access to Gene Therapies
FasterCures responded to a request for information issued by the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee on improving Americans’ access to gene therapies. In our comments, we provided input on gene therapy development, including on the need to support states to respond to the approval of gene therapies and to align Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data collection and evidence requirements. We also highlighted the importance of defining access through the eyes of the patient and caregiver.
Events and Convenings Recap
Roundtable: Coalition Building between the US and China on Women’s Cancer
As part of our efforts to achieve our mission on a global scale, FasterCures, together with the US-China Business Council, hosted a day-long roundtable in Hong Kong in March 2024 to explore opportunities for bilateral cooperation to address women’s cancers in the United States and China. This roundtable brought together delegates from the private sector, government, and biomedical research ecosystems in the US and China to identify opportunities to achieve better outcomes for patients with breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer.
Rare Disease Week 2024
FasterCures team members attended various events for Rare Disease Week 2024. The week encompassed events to raise awareness and advocate for the rare disease community, highlight legislative priorities, scientific advancements, and patient experiences, and address diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in rare disease care. Key takeaways included the importance of collaboration among stakeholders and promising developments in research and development.
TRAIN Webinar: Building Impactful, Transparent, and Reciprocal Relationships with Industry Partners
FasterCures’ The Research Acceleration and Innovation Network (TRAIN) hosted a webinar that delved into the strategies and considerations involved in establishing impactful partnerships between patient organizations and industry researchers. This webinar featured Jennifer Farmer, CEO, Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Network; Marc Hurlbert, CEO, Melanoma Research Alliance; Joseph Collins, vice president, medical intelligence, patient insights and solutions, Astellas Pharma Inc; Douglas Noland, executive director, patient partnerships, Astellas Pharma Inc; and was moderated by Kapila Viges, CEO, MPN Research Foundation. It emphasized the critical role of partnerships in driving treatment options and ensuring the inclusion of patient voices in research and development activities. View the webinar for valuable insights and best practices for organizations seeking to establish or strengthen partnerships to advance medical research.
Financing Models for Pandemic Early Warning System Roundtable in Brazil
FasterCures and the Milken Institute’s Innovative Finance team hosted a Financial Innovations Lab in Brazil to explore models for mobilizing private-sector investment in early warning capabilities in Brazil. Local experts highlighted the need to better connect the efforts of public and private sectors to develop the necessary data systems, tools, and technologies. This convening resulted in recommendations on ways to bring these efforts together and to incentivize private-sector engagement. A summary report will be released in May.
FasterCures in the Community
January
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Esther Krofah, executive vice president, Health, moderated a panel discussion at Sanofi's event, "Health Equity Heroes: Advocates Making a Difference."
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Krofah moderated "Unlocking the Cancer Moonshot for Underserved Communities: A Dialogue on Payment and Equity" at the National Minority Quality Forum Cancer Care Equity Summit (her panel starts at 5:38:18).
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Hadly Clark, director, spoke at the DCRI Think Tanks “Embracing Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Clinical Research and Beyond”
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Yasmeen Long, director, spoke at the Association of Black Cardiologists 50th Anniversary Summit.
February
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Krofah spoke as a panelist for the “Disruptors on the Horizon” panel at the 21st Annual Cigna National Accounts Forum.
March
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Krofah spoke at the 2024 International Women's Day Panel with TransCelerate BioPharma.
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Long spoke at the National Academies at a meeting hosted by the Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation.
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Krofah spoke at the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy workshop on Evolution of Clinical Trial Research and the Current State of Trial Innovation.
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Krofah spoke at the FDA-American Cancer Society Symposium: Setting Benchmarks for Diversity in Oncology Clinical Trials.
FasterCures in the Media
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Achieving Health Equity: An Action Plan to Address Diversity across Clinical Trials and Biomedical Research mentioned in Forbes.
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The Current Landscape of the Science of Patient Input was mentioned in Health Affairs Forefront.
Upcoming Event: Global Conference
The Milken Institute Global Conference will be held May 5–8, 2024, in Los Angeles. The conference will delve into the theme "Shaping a Shared Future." View the speakers list here, and plan to join us in-person or via livestream for thought-provoking, and inspiring conversations.