Lessons from a Pandemic: Reliable Access to Affordable Medicines

Deeply interconnected global pharmaceutical supply chains are being stress-tested for the first time on a major scale as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and national tensions that have concurrently flared.

The demand for needed drugs and therapies to a myriad of markets around the world, as well as environmental, legal, and cost factors has sculpted the raw materials supply, manufacturing and production picture we see today. As trade tensions have risen so have national security concerns about limited access to the active ingredients in many drugs — many of which are produced in India and China.

The U.S. has a significant global share of drug production, but it is not unreasonable to look at what policies make sense for re-weighting certain equities in the drug production ecosystem. But that would require study, potentially massive investment, and a re-ordering of regulations around pharmaceuticals production in order to be competitive with other drug production centers.

How should the U.S. move to stabilize and secure the supply chain in a sustainable manner as national mistrust of a global supply system grows? As the administration leans toward increased domestic manufacturing as a potential solution, how can the concerns of patients about trustable levels of access and cost be prioritized? How can the engines of generic drug production, which lower the cost curve for drugs, be harnessed to reduce anxieties about drug access and supply chain fragility? What bipartisan legislative and policy frames would ensure long term accessibility and affordability?

As drug manufacturers ramp up supply chains to ensure a coronavirus vaccine reaches people fast, The Hill will convene key public and private leaders for a conversation about reliable access to affordable medications, during and after a global health crisis.

Thursday, September 17

1:00 pm HEADLINER INTERVIEW

Featuring:

• Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Member, Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

1:10 pm HEADLINER INTERVIEW

Featuring:

• Adam Boehler, CEO, U.S. International Development Finance Corp

1:20 pm SPONSOR PERSPECTIVE

Featuring:

• Brendan O’Grady, President & CEO, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA

1:30 pm PANEL DISCUSSION

Featuring:

• Dan Mendelson, Founder, Avalere
• Ayesha Azam, Vice President of Medical Affairs, Patient Access Network Foundation

1:45 pm CLOSING INTERVIEW

Featuring:

• Hon. Mike Rogers, Chairman, 5G Action Now

Speakers:

• Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Member, Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
• Adam Boehler, CEO, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
• Hon. Mike Rogers, Chairman of 5G Action Now; former Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
• Ayesha Azam, Vice President of Medical Affairs, Patient Access Network Foundation
• Dan Mendelson, Founder, Avalere Health

Additional speakers to be announced

Sponsor Perspective:

• Brendan O’Grady, President & CEO, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA

Moderator:

Steve Clemons, Editor-at-Large, The Hill