We Work for Health Virginia

10/21/2026

October is . Strong give innovators the confidence to invest in promising ideas and turn breakthroughs into lifesaving medicines. See how powers medical innovation with We Work For Health: https://www.weworkforhealth.org/ip

10/19/2026

We Work for Health is proud to sponsor the Virginia Biotechnology Association's 2026 Women Building Bio Conference in Alexandria. Join us in celebrating the women shaping the future of biotechnology. Don’t miss out!

10/05/2026

Strong have helped the United States turn ideas into breakthroughs for 250 years. In honor of , check out this blog from We Work For Health examining the history of U.S. innovation: https://www.weworkforhealth.org/post/250-years-of-innovation-why-intellectual-property-still-fuels-american-leadership

09/15/2026

**9 Years vs. 13: The Problem With the Pill Penalty**

Why do small molecule medicines face Medicare price negotiation after nine years, while biologics receive 13 years?

In this special episode of the *Making Medicine Podcast*, host John Stanford revisits the “pill penalty” and explores how the 9-versus-13-year difference can influence biotech investment, drug development and the medicines available to patients.

The episode also examines the EPIC Act, which would give small molecule medicines and biologics the same 13-year timeline.

Listen to the episode to learn how policy decisions can shape investment in the next generation of medicines: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4c6MapkiLmM8uVfjPbrQAS

Making Medicine · Episode

09/10/2026

For years, the U.S. has shouldered a disproportionate share of the cost of pharmaceutical research and development, while other wealthy countries rely on price controls to keep drug costs artificially low.

It’s time for other countries to pay their fair share—strengthening American biotech, encouraging continued investment in research and innovation, and helping bring tomorrow’s lifesaving medicines to patients.

More here:

The Trump administration's investigation of Germany's price controls on prescription drugs should extend to other wealthy nations.

08/27/2026

A Pancreatic Cancer Breakthrough Shows What Innovation Can Deliver

For decades, metastatic pancreatic cancer has remained among the most difficult cancers to treat. At the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (https://www.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/268016), researchers presented findings that brought the audience to its feet.

In the phase 3 RASolute 302 trial, the investigational medicine daraxonrasib doubled median overall survival among patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer, from approximately 6.7 months with chemotherapy to 13.2 months. It also reduced the risk of death by 60%, extended progression-free survival and delayed deterioration in pain and quality of life. Read more about the results: https://www.oncologynewscentral.com/pancreatic-cancer/standing-ovation-at-asco-2026-for-grand-slam-pancreatic-cancer-data-daraxonrasib-doubles-survival

Daraxonrasib is not yet approved by the FDA, but these findings demonstrate what sustained scientific research, private investment and rigorous clinical trials can make possible. For patients and families, additional months are far more than a statistic. They mean more time together and renewed hope against a disease that has offered too little of either.

Virginia has a direct stake in protecting this innovation ecosystem. The Commonwealth is home to more than 3,400 life sciences companies, an industry that supports more than 30,000 jobs, contributes approximately $8 billion to Virginia’s economy and sponsors nearly 1,200 clinical trials each year. Pro-innovation policies can help Virginia attract capital, develop scientific talent, expand advanced manufacturing and move discoveries from the laboratory to patients.

As policymakers debate Most-Favored-Nation pricing and potential expansions of federal drug-price controls, they must consider how those decisions could affect investment in the next generation of treatments. Patients need affordable access to today’s medicines, but they also need the breakthroughs still being developed.

Virginia Bio supports policies that advance both access and innovation, strengthen Virginia’s growing biotechnology sector and ensure researchers can continue pursuing treatments once thought beyond reach.

08/27/2026

With the rising number of friends, family members, and people in our communities being diagnosed with cancer, conversations about medical innovation are hitting closer to home for so many of us.

The numbers tell us why this conversation matters. Black Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer than any other racial or ethnic group, yet while we represent nearly 14% of the U.S. population, we account for only 5–7% of cancer clinical trial participants. (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network)

But there is also reason for hope. Research presented at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting found that patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer receiving daraxonrasib had a median overall survival of 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months with chemotherapy, while reducing the risk of death by 60%. (UCLA Health)

And this is about economic opportunity, too. Virginia is home to more than 3,400 life sciences companies that employ over 30,000 people and contribute approximately $8 billion to our economy. Black entrepreneurs, researchers, businesses, and workers should be part of that growth. (VirginiaBio)

For me, it comes down to three things: innovation + access + representation.

We need to keep advancing lifesaving research while ensuring that the people disproportionately impacted by disease are represented in research and have equitable access to the breakthroughs that follow.

What does true health equity look like to you?

Senator Tim Kaine, Senator Mark Warner, Congressman Morgan Griffith, and Jennifer McClellan

08/17/2026

The 340B drug discount program moves more than $100 billion a year, but taxpayers and patients have little visibility into where those savings actually go.

A new push for greater transparency would require participating hospitals to show their work: itemize claims, prevent duplicate discounts, and report how much charity care they actually provide.

The 340B program was created to help patients in need. Transparency and accountability can help ensure that’s where the savings go.

Read the full op-ed here:

Reforming the 340B drug discount program requires complete transparency and accountability measures to curb hospital profit abuse.

08/03/2026

Innovation, not isolation, is how America stays ahead in biotech. As billions of dollars in drug patents expire, the U.S. should focus on attracting top talent, investing in research, and helping American companies develop the next generation of lifesaving treatments.

The goal should be to outcompete China through innovation, not slow medical breakthroughs with policies that make it harder for patients to access tomorrow's cures. Read more here:

If we slash federal research budgets, we risk hamstringing our scientists and losing an otherwise winnable race.

07/07/2026

Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) pricing may promise lower drug prices, but tying U.S. prices to those set by foreign governments risks importing their price-control systems.

Rather than adopting policies that could discourage investment in new medicines, the U.S. should address unfair foreign pricing practices while protecting American pharmaceutical innovation and the development of future lifesaving treatments.

Read more here:

Executive Summary U.S. patients pay more than patients in other wealthy countries for the same branded prescription drugs, but that gap does not prove that . . .