Monthly Newsletter
JAMA Study Examines Whether 340B Drug Discount Program Genuinely Serves Vulnerable Communities
June 2022
A new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) finds that while contract pharmacies participating in the 340B Drug Discount Program dramatically expanded by more than 4,000% between 2011-2019, their presence in the low-income communities they are intended to serve has decreased.
CBF Honors Groundbreaking Medical Contributions by LGBTQ Community During Pride Month
As Pride Month comes to a close, the California Biotechnology Foundation would like to highlight the accomplishments of innovators from the LGBTQ community who have made tremendous contributions in the sciences, medicine, and biotechnology. Here are six biotech pioneers you should know:
Ben Barres M.D., Ph.D. developed a reputation both as a leading researcher in neurological diseases and as a tireless advocate for women in academia. The Stanford neuroscientist’s research into glial cells—the unsung majority of brain cells, which aren’t nerve cells — revolutionized the field of neuroscience. He was the first trans person admitted into the National Academies of Science.
Carolyn Bertozzi is a professor of Chemistry at Stanford University. Bertozzi’s research interests span the disciplines of chemistry and biology with an emphasis on studies of cell surface sugars important to human health and disease. Her research group profiles changes in cell surface glycosylation associated with cancer, inflammation and bacterial infection, and uses this information to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, most recently in the area of immuno-oncology.
Jesus Gomez-Navarro, M.D. is a physician-scientist for Takeda with the life-long aspiration to cure cancer. As Vice President, Head of Clinical Research & Development at Takeda Oncology, he was responsible for the first oral proteasome inhibitor for multiple myeloma that was FDA approved in 2015.
Laura Shawver is president, CEO and director of Silverback Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company advancing a pipeline of therapies that target fundamental disease pathways in cancer, fibrosis and virology. In addition to Silverback Therapeutics, Laura has successfully led four biotech companies including Synthorx, Inc., Cleave Biosciences, Phenomix Corporation and SUGEN, Inc. As an ovarian cancer survivor, Laura founded the non-profit organization, The Clearity Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on bringing molecular profiling to the forefront of ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment to help women live longer, healthier lives.
Paolo Martini, Ph.D. is Chief Scientific Officer, Rare Diseases for Moderna Therapeutics. With more than 18 years of experience in drug discovery working on molecular mechanisms underlying monogenic and multigenic metabolic and fibrotic disorders as well as hematologic malignancies, Dr. Martini’s laboratory is focused on identifying novel therapies and applying translational approaches for drug development in rare genetic disorders.
Paul Hastings is the President and CEO of Nkarta Therapeutics and Chair of the Board of Directors of BIO. Hastings brings longtime leadership experience to the biotech industry table. He has led multiple biotechnology companies at both the early development and commercial stages. At Nkarta, he is leading in the development of cell therapies for cancer with the power of natural killer “Nk” cells.
For more information about outstanding life science accomplishments from the LGBTQ community, please visit the Bay Area chapter of OutBio or the following links – BIO, Timmerman Report.
For more information, contact Patty Cooper with the California Biotechnology Foundation at 916-764-2434 or [email protected].