Conference archive
Featured Keynotes
Senator Bill Cassidy
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
This widely attended event will include:
- Policymakers / legislators on the Hill to identify the challenges patients are going to face and make sure they have access to transformational therapies
- Industry senior leaders and heads of government affairs to help articulate challenges and shape direction for future of innovation.
- Regulators to evolve the system based on new strategies and emerging tools
- Payers to learn new financing models
- Patients and providers to advocate for progress and access
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Learn new Precision Financing strategies and tools
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Connect with system stakeholders to solve problems
In this one day conference, grasp the challenges and solutions to making cures accessible to patients and sustainable by the healthcare system.
Sponsors






A collaboration for practical solutions
The Paying for Cures conference will share research and recommendations compiled over nearly three years in the NEWDIGS Consortium at MIT. The collaboration included perspectives across the healthcare innovation spectrum to develop patient-centered, system-sustainable solutions.
Joe Alvarnas, MD
Vice President, Government Affairs & Senior Medical Director, Employer Strategy, City of HopeUsman “Oz” Azam, MD
President & CEO, Tmunity TherapeuticsMarc Boutin, JD
CEO, National Health CouncilTim Brent
Senior Director, Business Development, National Hemophilia FoundationChuck Bucklar
Group Vice President, Commercial Operations, North America, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.Kim Caldwell, RPh
Principal, Texas Star Healthcare Consulting, LLC (formerly Division Director, Medicare Drug Benefit Group, CMS; & Vice President of Pharmacy Professional Affairs, Humana)Brian Carey
Partner, Co-Chair, Foley-Hoag LLPSenator Bill Cassidy
(R) U.S. Senator for LouisianaLovena Chaput
Vice President, Managed Markets & Reimbursement, AveXisMike Ciarametaro, MBA
Vice President Research, National Pharmaceutical CouncilRena Conti, PhD
Associate Research Director, Biopharma and Public Policy, Institute for Health System Innovation and Policy, Boston University Questrom School of BusinessGregory Daniel, PhD, MPH
Deputy Director, Policy, Duke – Robert J. Margolis MD, Center for Health Policy & Clinical Professor, Fuqua School of BusinessBob Galvin, MD
Chief Executive Officer, Equity Healthcare, Blackstone (former Executive Director, Health Services & Chief Medical Officer, General Electric)R. John Glasspool
Research Affiliate and Senior Advisor, FoCUS
Center for Biomedical Innovation: NEWDIGS
Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyAnish Goel, PhD
Beta-thalassemia major patient
David Goldston
Director, MIT Washington D.C. OfficeDarin Gordon
Founding Partner, Speire Healthcare Strategies, LLC (former Director, Tennessee Medicaid program—TennCare)Jonathan Gruber, PhD
Ford Professor of Economics, MIT and Director, Health Care Program, National Bureau of Economic ResearchGigi Hirsch, MD
Executive Director, Center for Biomedical Innovation and Executive Director, NEWDIGSMehb Khoja, FSA, MAAA
President, Medical Risk Managers Inc. (MRM)Krishna Komanduri, MD
Kalish Family Chair in Stem Cell Transplantation; Professor of Medicine and Associate Director, Clinical Innovation, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of MedicineJanet Lambert, MBA
CEO, Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM)Jeff Myers
EVP Strategy and External Relations, CareSource (former president and CEO of Medicaid Health Plans of America (MHPA))Edmund Pezalla, MD, MPH
CEO Enlightenment Bio-consulting (former Vice President, National Medical Director, Pharmaceutical Policy and Strategy, Aetna)Murray Ross, PhD
Vice President, Kaiser PermanentePeter Saltonstall
President and CEO, National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)Michael Sherman, MD, MBA, MS
Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Harvard Pilgrim Health CareMark Trusheim, MSc
Strategic Director, NEWDIGS Initiative, MIT Center for Biomedical InnovationSteve Usdin
Senior Editor (Washington), Head Policy & Regulation, BioCentury and BioCentury InnovationsKrystyn Van Vliet, PhD
Associate Provost and Professor of Materials Science & Engineering & Biological Engineering, MITSenator Sheldon Whitehouse
(D) U.S. Senator for Rhode IslandColin M. Young, PhD
Director Drug Development Pipeline Research, MIT FoCUS Project
Agenda
Part 1: Understanding curative and durable therapies
Why are we here? The science, patients and system readiness for curative therapies
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Cell & Gene Therapies Drug Development Pipeline
Part 2: Challenges to accessibility
Financial Challenges Imposed by Curative Therapies: Real or Imagined?
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Keynote: Senator Cassidy
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The FoCUS Project: Precision Financing Solutions
Part 3: Clearing the way for cures
Putting Theory into Practice
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Identifying Opportunities for Enabling Precision Financing
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Keynote: Senator Whitehouse
The FoCUS consortium has been working for almost three years, thoroughly identifying challenges and designing solutions, involving the perspectives of diverse system stakeholders. Linked here are the Research Briefs and a Whitepaper published to date that provide a foundation for the conference.
White papers
Precision Financing Solutions for Durable / Potentially Curative Therapies
Designing financial solutions to ensure affordable access to cures
Research briefs
Clinical trials and investment trends for novel CAR-T and TCR therapies
Model Contracts for Innovative Oncology Therapies
Role of COE networks in curative cellular oncology therapies
Stop-Loss Insurance or Reinsurance for Multiyear Contracts
Impact of Patient Mobility on Annuity/Performance-Based Contracting
Orphan Reinsurer Benefit Managers (ORBMs)
Impact of Actuarial Risk on Health Plans
Designing Precision Financing for Cures
National Press Club
529 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20045
February 12, 2019