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life sciences

September 25, 2023

Virtual Policy Briefing: Exploring the Intersection of Vocational-Technical Education and the Life Sciences Sector

Massachusetts is the nation’s leader in vocational-technical schooling and home to the most dynamic life sciences sector in America. We invite you to join us for a webinar on the nexus between the Bay State’s educational, life science, and competitive human capital needs in the 21st-century global economy.
Healthcare
May 15, 2023

Opinion: Drug patents aren't a 'necessary evil.' They save lives.

Drug patents are one of the most important public policy innovations in all of human history, and a boon to patients awaiting cures. Inventions only come when inventors are rewarded, not punished. Patents are not a “necessary evil.”
Healthcare
April 18, 2023

Out-of-Pocket Pirates: Spotlight on Accumulator & Maximizer Programs

A new white paper, "Out-of-Pocket Pirates: Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) and the Confiscation of Copayment Assistance Programs," examines how the way these programs are implemented is having negative impacts on patients living with serious diseases.
American Citizenship, Opportunity
July 26, 2022

What’s going on with the economy in Cambridge?

Dubbed the city of squares, Cambridge, a leading innovation center, is home to some of the world’s most recognized technology companies and educational institutions. With an educated population and a knowledge-based economy, a lot has changed and a lot has remained the...
Opportunity
March 17, 2022

Avak Kahvejian on How Immigrants Drive Innovation

This week on JobMakers, host Denzil Mohammed talks with Dr. Avak Kahvejian, an inventor, entrepreneur and CEO as well as general partner at Flagship Pioneering, a life sciences venture capital company in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Healthcare
December 6, 2021

The Promise and Challenges of Rare Cancer Treatments

Dr. William Smith, Pioneer Institute's Visiting Fellow in Life Sciences, spoke about the challenges and opportunities for rare cancer treatments, in a video interview produced by Rare Cancers, a patient group based in Australia, for the November 26th CAN Forum. 
Healthcare
June 26, 2019

Report: Rare Disease Patients Hurt by “One-Size-Fits-All” ICER Framework

This op-ed appeared in ICERWatch on June 26, 2019. The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review and its controversial “one-size-fits-all” value framework are a direct threat to rare disease patients, an independent report warns. In its newly-released report, “Looming Challenges for ICER in Assessing...
Healthcare
June 12, 2019

Putting a Price on Life: The Coming Fight Over Government Rationing of Medical Care

This article appeared on The Mackinac Center for Public Policy on June 12, 2019. In Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and elsewhere, government-run health care systems use “quality-adjusted life years” to help determine what medical procedures and drugs are available for patients....
Healthcare
April 25, 2019

Here’s why Sarah Palin’s ‘death panels’ are now being debated in Massachusetts

This op-ed by Shira Schoenberg appeared in MassLive on April 25, 2019. The debate over former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s inaccurately named “death panels” has come to Massachusetts. The debate centers on a measure of cost-effectiveness for health care, which assigns...
Healthcare
April 23, 2019

Issue Brief: Problems With The Institute of Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) and the QALY Methodology

This article by Chris Rochester appeared in The MacIver Institute on April 23, 2019. “What’s a year of life worth?” That compelling question was posed by Dr. William S. Smith, a visiting fellow at the Boston-based Pioneer Institute in a recent op-ed questioning...