Rena Conti, Associate Professor and Dean’s Research Scholar at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business attended the White House Cell and Gene Therapy Forum on January 8th to share her research and find solutions to advance access to cell and gene therapy.
As a health economist, Conti is a valuable contributor to the discussion of strengthening therapy treatments. Conti has a Ph.D from the Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in health policy and economics and a plethora of publications to her name, specifically on prescription drug demand and supply.
The White House Forum called on advocates, academics, nonprofits, and others to convene and discuss approaches for increasing accessibility to cell and gene therapies, a rapidly evolving challenge.
In December of last year, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that bluebird bio, Inc. and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, two FDA-approved drug manufacturers, entered discussions on participating in the Cell and Gene Therapy Access Model.
The model will test cell and gene therapies to optimize healthcare costs and increase access to treatment. States can now participate in the access model after officially launching in January 2025.
Conti was a member of a 20-member Advisory Council, working alongside a diverse group of academics and industry leaders, to advance this model. Prior to joining the council, Conti held several advisory roles at the FDA and has served as a Special Government advisor to the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Last May, Conti discussed her research on a panel discussion “Life Science Innovation: Who Should Pay?” hosted by the Mehrotra Institute at the WBUR CitySpace on Boston University’s campus, exploring the continuation of innovation and accessibility of these treatments. To learn more and hear the recorded discussion, listen to the episode on the podcast “Is Business Broken?”.
