21st Century Cures: Spurring Innovation, Advancing Treatments, & Incentivizing Investment

The 21st Century Cures is a bipartisan initiative to examine and improve the discovery-development-delivery cycle. Treatments for patients suffering from chronic and rare diseases – whether they are medical devices or medicine – must be discovered on the ground level through basic science, be developed into a practical, usable, and marketable products, and then must be able to be delivered to the patients so that the treatment may be effectively utilized.

Researchers and scientists need incentives to pursue an idea, and eventually discover cutting edge treatments. Too often the barriers are too prominent, and initial research is stopped before it even begins. We must modernize the way patients gain access to clinical trials, and ensure they find the right clinical trials. Too many patients are without access to clinical trials, and potentially life-saving treatments. Even for patients who have access to clinical trials are often unsure – they need to be matched with the clinical trial that best suits their needs – taking these steps will better serve both the patient and the provider.

The regulatory framework for health care must encouraging private sector and investment capital. Free market principles can be infused into health care. Venture philanthropy and entrepreneurial science are two terms I have heard used, but the goal is the same – incentivizing private sector growth. I firmly believe economic prosperity comes from the private sector, and I believe that the best ideas can attract private sector capital that will allow them to be successful. As it stands, regulations often stand in the way of private investment in health care. The government should encourage, not dissuade private investment. While a number of private and philanthropic entities have been able to incentivize private sector and venture capital, it has been difficult. Reforms can make it easier.

Participant List
Below is a list of confirmed participants of the roundtable. By clicking their name, you can view the remarks they have prepared for their opening statement. Testimonies will be added as they are received. U.S.
Representative Gus Bilirakis
Dr. Clifton Gooch, FAAN, Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, and Director, USF Neuroscience Collaborative, University of South Florida
Dr. Dave Morgan, CEO and Director of USF's Byrd Alzheimer's Institute
Dr. Richard Finkel, Chief Neurologist at Nemour's Children's Hospital
Mr. Geary A. Havran, President of NDH Medical, Inc., and Chairman, Florida Medical Manufacturers Consortium
Ms. Lisa Novorska, CFO, Rochester Electro-Medical, Inc.
Dr. Thomas Sellers, MPH., Center Director and Executive Vice President for Moffit Cancer Center
Dr. Glen Hortin, Clinical Pathology Medical Director for the Southeast Region, for Quest Diagnostics
Location, Date, and Time
Friday, August 22nd, at 1:30 pm
The Bethany Center
18150 Bethany Center Drive
Lutz, FL 33558