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We Work For Health Executive Director Dan Leonard issued the following statement ahead of an anticipated vote “As Congress once again prepares for a long evening of budget reconciliation debates, we urge lawmakers to reject proposals – such as most favored nation (MFN) – that would undermine America’s world leadership in healthcare innovation and industry. MFN and similar government price control mandates would not lower patients’ out-of-pocket expenses, nor would they addres

Illinois is home to a robust biopharmaceutical industry that delivers life-saving cures to patients across the country. In the last 16 months, $2.75 billion in biopharmaceutical investment has flowed into Illinois – fueling continued leadership in research, development, and manufacturing. In Illinois: $575 million investment by AbbVie in North Chicago Over 263k local jobs supported by the industry $101.1 billion in economic output Faster delivery of more innovative cures to

A guest perspective by: Henry Hadad, Senior Vice President, Innovation Law, Bristol Myers Squibb Over the past century, the biopharmaceutical industry has delivered extraordinary advances that have fundamentally transformed human health. Immuno-oncology has extended survival for patients with metastatic melanoma from eight months in the 1990s to six years today. Antiretrovirals allow HIV patients to live normal lives. Antibiotics have slashed mortality from infectious disease

By: Dan Leonard, Executive Director, We Work For Health and Chrissy Buteas, President and Chief Executive Officer, HealthCare Institute of New Jersey Making medicines more affordable is a goal we all share. Patients, employers, innovators, and policymakers recognize that high costs can stand between patients and the care they need. But not every policy that promises lower prices delivers better outcomes. If policymakers were to codify a “most favored nation” (MFN) drug pricin

Anyone who has followed the U.S. biopharmaceutical industry closely since the start of last year is likely aware of the historic investment that companies have made to strengthen the nation's drug innovation infrastructure, including through next-generation manufacturing facilities that can deliver therapies to Americans faster and more safely. We Work For Health has tracked more than $582 billion in announcements since January 2025. While it will take time for the full scope

Intellectual property is the backbone of the biopharma industry’s innovation ecosystem, driving the discovery and development of life‑saving treatments for patients. In recent years, We Work For Health has presented the Healthcare Innovation Leadership Award to policymakers who demonstrate a sustained commitment to protecting the intellectual property framework that fuels medical innovation. The latest honorees are Representatives Brad Knott (R-NC) and Scott Fitzgerald (R

On April 23, We Work For Health hosted a webinar to examine how a Most Favored Nation pricing policy could affect patient access, affordability, and medical innovation, and why the promised savings may not materialize. Drawing on real‑world examples from Europe and other OECD countries, panelists discussed the unintended but very real consequences of implementing and codifying an MFN policy, including reduced access to lifesaving medicines and limited or nonexistent price rel

World Intellectual Property Day is this Sunday, April 26, and it comes at a moment of rapid scientific progress and growing global competition. As innovation accelerates, the systems that support investment, collaboration and long‑term research are under increasing pressure. The decisions made now will shape where breakthroughs are developed and how quickly they reach patients. Ahead of World IP Day, WWFH Executive Director Dan Leonard shares his perspective on why intell

Nearly 250 years ago, the United States made a consequential decision about how it would compete, grow and lead. At the nation’s founding was a belief that protecting new ideas would do more than reward individual ingenuity. It would fuel economic growth, encourage risk-taking, and help transform invention into lasting progress. That commitment helped define America’s innovation model and positioned the country for generations of leadership. The nation’s legacy of innov

Effective leadership recognizes that policy decisions do not exist in a vacuum – they shape jobs, economic growth and patient access to life-saving treatments. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger recently put workers, employers and Virginia’s future first, setting an example for how thoughtful policymaking can foster innovation and opportunity. Virginia’s biopharmaceutical sector is in the middle of historic growth. Since 2025, life sciences companies have committed $10B+ in new

Ahead of World Intellectual Property (IP) Day on April 26, We Work For Health Executive Director Dan Leonard issued the following statement: “World Intellectual Property Day is a reminder that medical innovation is the result of deliberate policy choices. In health care, intellectual property determines whether bold ideas are pursued, whether long‑term research is sustained and whether discoveries ultimately reach patients as treatments, diagnostics or cures. The United State

A recent landmark U.S. health care law touted as the most significant prescription drug-price reform in decades appears to be already falling short of its promise. The harmful consequences are at risk of repeating as Washington considers expanding government price controls through most favored nation (MFN). The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), passed in 2022, instituted a $2,000 annual out-of-pocket cap on Medicare Part D drug costs that took effect last year. The legislation w

The Administration has made lowering health care costs a top priority, a commendable goal. Yet the proposed most-favored nation (MFN) policy would almost certainly undermine the ability to keep that promise. By disincentivizing investment in the life sciences sector, MFN could cost the U.S. its edge in global biopharmaceutical leadership. Hear what the experts are saying:

A groundbreaking report quantifies what patients and their families have long understood: American medical innovation is making life better for all of us. This new analysis, conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago and supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, estimates medical breakthroughs delivered $167.5 trillion in societal value to the United States. How Innovation Delivers The researchers looked at innovations in four major disease areas – HIV, heart di

Across global health systems, policymakers face a familiar but increasingly urgent challenge: managing rising health care costs without undermining the innovation and intellectual property systems that make future therapies possible. Biopharmaceutical research is inherently long term . It requires substantial upfront investment and a stable intellectual property (IP) framework to ensure that successful products generate returns. When this balance is disrupted, the resulting

Last week, We Work For Health Executive Director Dan Leonard participated in a panel at the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey's (HINJ) 2026 Pulse: Saving Lives Globally, Driving Our Economy Locally – a seminar designed to inform industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders about the state of New Jersey's life sciences sector and its leading role in advancing global health. The event took place at Middlesex College in Edison, New Jersey. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherril

America remains the global leader in biopharmaceutical research and development, but an alarming climb from China over the past decade warrants a strategic response from U.S. policymakers, according to new research and recommendations from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. The report compares private-sector R&D investments between U.S.- and China-headquartered firms across nine advanced industries, including pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, revealing a

America's biopharmaceutical leadership has never been more contested – or more consequential. As policymakers in Washington consider proposals like most favored nation (MFN), which would tie U.S. prices to European benchmarks, a critical question emerges: What actually happens when a country chooses cost containment over innovation? Europe has lived that story. The U.S. cannot afford to ignore how it ends. On March 5, We Work For Health convened experts, industry leaders

We Work For Health's Executive Director Dan Leonard recently sat down with Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at the Global Healthy Living Foundation and founder of Conquest Advisors, to discuss what's actually happening at the pharmacy counter now that the first Medicare-negotiated drug prices under the Inflation Reduction Act have taken effect. Nearly two months into implementation, the picture emerging is far more complicated than the government's promises

For generations, the story of European pharmaceutical competitiveness has been one of stark decline, providing a harsh lesson in what happens when price controls crowd out innovation. Europe's declining drug approval trajectory is a warning for U.S. policymakers tempted by most-favored nation drug pricing. The decline has not gone unnoticed in Brussels. Motivated by years of self-inflicted setbacks, European leaders have begun to mount a serious campaign to reclaim the cont

During Rare Disease Week, the Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing focused on the urgent need to strengthen the United States biomedical innovation ecosystem to benefit patients. Lawmakers, advocates and industry leaders underscored a shared reality: for individuals living with rare and ultra-rare diseases, innovation represents both hope and the possibility of future access to treatment. This moment calls attention to the scale of unmet medical need and to t

We Work For Health Executive Director Dan Leonard issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s call for the codification of Most Favored Nation price controls during his State of the Union Address. “Last night, we heard again from the Administration about their plans to lower healthcare costs for American families – an admirable goal that has remained a priority for President Trump. We Work For Health shares the Administration's urgent desire to address t

We Work For Health recently submitted formal comment letters urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reject and withdraw both the Global Benchmark for Efficient Drug Pricing (GLOBE) model for Medicare Part B and the Guarding U.S. Medicare Against Rising Drug Costs (GUARD) model for Medicare Part D. If implemented, these models will significantly harm American life sciences innovation, the millions of workers whose livelihoods depend on it and the patients thes

According to the FDA's annual report released last month, the agency's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) approved 46 novel prescription drugs in 2025 – slightly fewer than in recent years. While America's prescription drug approval process remains the global gold standard, maintaining this leadership position requires urgent attention from policymakers as competitive pressures from abroad intensify. The United States cannot afford complacency. China is pourin

By: Dan Leonard, Executive Director, We Work For Health Maintaining America’s momentum demands that policymakers resist policies that undermine research and development incentives. Last year marked a transformative moment for the biopharmaceutical sector: the industry committed to nearly $500 billion in domestic investments, an almost 1,500% surge compared to 2024. My organization, We Work For Health, documents where these investments flow on our U.S. Biopharma Investment Wa

Breakthroughs in medicine rarely happen in a single moment. More often, they are the result of years, sometimes decades, of research, experimentation and sustained investment. In biopharma, this long-term perspective is essential. Treatments that once seemed unimaginable are now reaching patients who never expected to benefit from them in their lifetimes. These advances were made possible because early ideas were given the time, protection and resources needed to develop.

By: Richard Bagger, Board Member, Center for Medicine in the Public Interest; former New Jersey State Legislator and Chief of Staff to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. When government officials propose policies that set prices for life-saving medicines, the idea can sound simple: make prescription drugs more affordable and easier to access. But history, economics, and global experience tell a much different story. Government price controls, including importing other count

After several years of steady growth, Europe’s drug regulators are once again increasing the pace of recommended medicines for approval. Last year, European authorities recommended 38 new active substances, delivering a second straight year of elevated output. Even so, Europe continues to lag well behind the U.S., which approved 53 novel medicines, roughly 30% more, according to Endpoints News . As U.S. policymakers weigh whether to adopt foreign-style pricing frameworks

We Work For Health Executive Director Dan Leonard issued the following statement in response to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) announcement of the next selection of drugs in Medicare to be negotiated under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA): “As the Administration continues to add drugs to this list, it reinforces a troubling path driven by misguided and flawed efforts to advance government price controls under the Inflation Reduction Act. This trend is f

America's biopharmaceutical sector is delivering unprecedented economic impact across the nation. Since January 2025, companies have committed more than $582 billion to bolster U.S. research and development, expand manufacturing and create jobs in communities nationwide. From cutting-edge manufacturing facilities in the South to next-generation research hubs in the Mid-Atlantic, the life sciences industry is driving local economic growth, creating high-skill jobs and ensurin

We Work For Health Executive Director Dan Leonard recently sat down with Dr. Rachel Brem, Director of the Breast Imaging and Interventional Center at George Washington University and Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Brem Foundation. Dr. Brem has pioneered multiple breakthrough technologies for early breast cancer detection and brings a unique perspective – both professional and deeply personal – on what it takes to translate medical innovation into life-saving care

According to a recent report from the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate for cancer in the United States has significantly improved. In the mid-1970s, only half of cancer patients would survive five years or more, now seven in 10 survive. Thanks to technological innovation leading to life-saving cures, cancer survival is increasingly achievable. For cancer patients, these medical innovations add years to their lives. The recent study shows remarkable progr

We appreciate the administration's continued focus on making healthcare more affordable for American families. The rising cost is a genuine concern, and policymakers are right to demand accountability from those responsible. That's why we commend the administration's and Congress’ efforts to hold healthcare middlemen, including corporate insurers and their subsidiaries, accountable for their anti-competitive practices and opacity that drive up costs throughout the entire syst

Evidence continues to show that government price control policies like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) slow drug innovation, particularly for small molecule medications, which are typically found in pill and tablet form. Late last year, the University of Chicago’s Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics published research revealing unintended consequences of the IRA on oncology drug development. The University of Chicago’s researchers examined 184 cancer drugs approve

This week, two major research reports were released that offer fresh industry insight into China’s rapid biopharma growth and the potential impact on U.S. global competitiveness. McKinsey & Company highlighted China’s undisputed foothold as Asia’s innovation leader. As countries like South Korea and India have stood out, combining ambition with strategic investment to build their capabilities, China is responsible for nearly a third of the global pipeline. TD Cowen collec

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 29, 2025) – We Work For Health commends the Trump administration for recognizing the substantial role corporate insurers and their integrated subsidiaries play in driving up costs and restricting access to care for American families. The administration's announcement of their intent to bring healthcare insurance executives to the table and examine the full scope of insurance industry practices represents the most necessary and critical step toward meani

In April, a bipartisan committee warned Congress that America’s global biosector leadership was potentially on borrowed time, advising that if not for urgent regulatory corrections, China will overtake the U.S. within three years. That same committee has issued an update. The clock is ticking even faster than feared. “Since the publication of that assessment , the trajectory the Commission identified has continued – and in several respects intensified,” said the National Secu

A historic 2025 is coming to a close for America’s biopharmaceutical sector. From coast to coast, dozens of companies announced or broke ground on next-generation research facilities, expanded their stateside manufacturing capacity, and laid the foundation for accelerating medical breakthroughs. According to We Work For Health’s U.S. Biopharma Investment Watch , the industry committed more than $492 billion in new domestic investment this year. The unprecedented capital depl

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 19, 2025) We Work For Health released the following statement today in response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announcing the Global Benchmark for Efficient Drug Pricing (GLOBE) and Guarding U.S. Medicare Against Rising Drug Costs (GUARD) models: “Applying the most favored nation (MFN) pricing models to Medicare Parts B and D – including sweeping Medicare demonstrations that would mandate price controls across broad categories of Part

By: Debbie Hart, CEO, BioNJ and Dan Leonard, Executive Director, We Work For Health Will the epicenter of global medical innovation be in New Jersey or Shanghai? That is a critical question before U.S. policymakers right now, and the stakes arguably couldn’t be higher. How the country fends off China’s rising biopharma sector affects everything from our health and national security to local, state and national economies. Today, the U.S. leads the world in biopharmaceutical in

Over the past decade, China has executed a sustained, long-range strategy to build a globally competitive biopharmaceutical sector. Through coordinated investment and policy, the country has moved from “me-too” products to cutting-edge therapies, while elevating regulatory and manufacturing standards to global norms. And it’s working. On Dec. 11, We Work For Health convened a full room of stakeholders for a critical discussion on China’s accelerating biopharmaceutical ambit

We Work for Health's Executive Director Dan Leonard recently sat down with Dr. Gary Puckrein, President and CEO of the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF), to discuss his organization's work to ensure fair access to life-saving research and emerging treatments as well as what needs to be done to preserve America's innovation leadership. The discussion highlighted the public health and economic imperatives of maintaining U.S. competitiveness in biopharmaceutical research

November 26, 2025 (Washington, DC) We Work For Health Executive Director Dan Leonard issued the following statement in response to the administration’s announcement on the Maximum Fair Prices (MFP) for IPAY 2027 selected drugs: “We Work For Health has been sounding the alarm about the dangers of government price controls since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This latest announcement from the Administration is yet another troubling consequence of that pol

Members of the Senate Special Committee on Aging convened last week to hear from witnesses on restoring trust in American-made medicines. The hearing highlighted urgent concerns about America’s reliance on foreign nations, particularly China, for critical drug ingredients and finished medications. Witnesses and lawmakers warned that this dependence is compromising patient safety, national security and supply-chain resilience. As Senator Scott (R-FL) said in his opening

Chinese biotech stock is reportedly “booming” while outperforming its U.S. counterpart, delivering the latest data point in a worrisome trend for America’s patients, economy, and national security. According to a recent STAT article , while U.S. biotech stock is up 20% this year, China's is up a whopping 80%. At first glance, this could be dismissed as another short-term spike. Similar ones were observed between 2018 and 2021 when a flurry of Chinese drugmakers launched IPO

North Carolina’s life sciences industry is a hub of innovation that drives economic growth and advances health care. Its research and biotech sectors employ more than 226,000 people and contribute more than $80 billion to the state’s economy. Through thousands of clinical trials involving millions of participants, the state plays a central role in finding discoveries that improve patient care nationwide. That’s where strong intellectual property (IP) protections come in

The urgency for the U.S. to maintain its leadership in biotechnology – especially in competition with China – is growing. This issue came into sharp focus during recent discussions between lawmakers and industry experts at a Senate HELP Committee hearing . “I recently spoke to a group of biotech leaders,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said. “They, in varying degrees, view China as a collaborator, a competitor and as a threat. When developers are looking outside our country for

As we wrap up IP Month, WWFH Executive Director Dan Leonard sat down for a conversation with David Kappos of the Council for Innovation Promotion. As former Under Secretary of Commerce and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and Vice President and Chief Intellectual Property Lawyer at IBM, Kappos is an expert in the innovation and intellectual property (IP) space. Throughout the conversation, Kappos underscores the fundamental importance of strong IP protections

We Work For Health Executive Director Dan Leonard recently sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commending its commitment to expanding domestic drug research and manufacturing capabilities. He also urged the agency to encourage continued progress in fortifying the nation’s pharmaceutical supply chain. For more on how U.S. investments are driving innovation, explore WWFH's Biopharma Investment Watch .

During October’s Intellectual Property Month, WWFH’s Executive Director Dan Leonard sat down with Laura Schoppe of Tech Pipeline for a timely conversation about the future of American innovation. With China's biopharmaceutical sector gaining ground and policy challenges mounting at home, Laura's insights come at a critical moment. Drawing on her experience in academic technology transfer and biopharmaceutical innovation, Laura offers a nuanced look at both the opportunities