Advocate Voices
Patients are at the core of what we do
Their will, strength and stories inspire biopharmaceutical researchers to fight illness at every level. Advocates are also valuable partners in the tireless pursuit of revolutionary treatments and cures.
Patients
Everything we do is about patients
Everything we do is about patients. We're working to drive patient-centered progress in innovation, affordability and access and are pushing for necessary, positive and long-term change to better address the needs of diverse communities. Here, patients share stories around the life-changing impact of new medicines.
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Patty's Story: Voids in Research Leave Patients Desperate for new Treatments
At 32 weeks pregnant, Patty was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy. -
Maura’s Story: Triple Negative Breast Cancer Survivor
Nearly 15 years ago, Maura Bivens was diagnosed with breast cancer. -
The Power of Biopharmaceutical Innovation
Colon cancer patient Terry U. of Ohio relates the story of his battle with his illness, and how biopharmaceutical innovation gave him a second chance on life. -
Linda Pfeifer, A Patient in Search for Cures
Proud Michigander, Linda Pfeifer has faced her fair share of health challenges -
A Lifeline for Blood Cancer
Innovative treatments are harnessing patients' own cells to power the fight against cancer. #GoBoldly -
Government Savings vs. New Medicines Isn’t a Fair Trade
Government Savings vs. New Medicines Isn’t a Fair Trade -
I had cancer four times; Today I’m alive because of innovation
Justin shares his eight-year battle with leukemia and his hope for the future of cancer care. -
We Don’t Need to Give Politicians Control
We Don’t Need to Give Politicians Control -
As an HIV patient in the 80s, I had lost all hope. Innovation gave it back.
As an HIV patient in the 80s, I had lost all hope. Innovation gave it back. -
Meet Valen, Double-Transplant Recipient Relying on Future Innovation
Meet Valen, Double-Transplant Recipient Relying on Future Innovation -
How Innovation Ended My Daily Battle with Headache and Migraine
After 25 trials, a new migraine treatment gave Jennifer her life back after years of pain. -
How innovation gave me a second chance at life
Nicole shares the story of her battle with lupus and the treatment that is giving her renewed hope. -
Living With Limits Does Not Mean Living Without Hope
For Mitra, living with lupus symptoms and limitations doesn’t mean living without hope. -
Living with severe asthma is a full-time job
Living with severe asthma is a full-time job, and it has impacted nearly every area of Donna’s life. -
Innovation gave me back my ability to breathe
Gil shares his experience living with severe asthma, and the impact new treatments have on his life. -
Why innovation is vital: My battle with C. difficile
Simon Jenkins, who suffered from C. diff, shares his story and hope for future treatments. -
Your Epilepsy Does Not Define You
Epilepsy patient, caregiver and advocate Loretta Boileau has seen firsthand the benefits of innovative treatments. -
I'm One of the Lucky Ones
Learn about Jamie Schanbaum's near-fatal battle with meningitis, and the importance of getting vaccinated. #GoBoldly -
I Just Want to Show Other Patients that Anything is Possible
Jake Marrazzo, a DMD patient and advocate, shares his experience with the disease, providing a powerful story of inspiration. #GoBoldly -
The Greatest Gift of All: Hope
With every birthday candle blown-out, shooting star and fallen eye lash, the Lentini Family’s wish is always full of hope. #GoBoldly -
I'm Not Going to Let My MS Diagnosis Get to Me
After her multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, Laurel Katz decided that she would not let her condition get to her. #GoBoldly -
Pink Hair Don't Care
Learn how one woman’s life changed when she became a breast cancer patient. #GoBoldly -
Raising Awareness of ALS Through the Ice Bucket Challenge
Meet Pat Quinn, a patient and advocate living with ALS. #GoBoldly -
Organ Donation: The Gift that Keeps on Giving
Hear from an organ transplant patient about her journey through heart disease. #GoBoldly -
Living With HIV: A Full and Rewarding Journey
Discover how one patient's journey is educating and inspiring others to get tested for HIV. #GoBoldly -
A Patient's Take: Monica Johnson
Hear from a patient about her journey with juvenile arthritis and how she’s advocating for others. #GoBoldly -
How Medical Technology Is Saving Lives
Hear from patients how medical technology is saving lives. #GoBoldly -
A Veteran's Victory Over Cancer
Hear from a veteran about her victory over cancer. #GoBoldly -
A New Age of Viral Disease Treatment: The Cure Developed by Biopharmaceutical Companies that Saved a Mother of Six
Learn about one hepatitis C patient’s continued journey, thanks to a lifesaving treatment. #GoBoldly -
Clinical Trial Provides Patient A Second Chance
Hear from a stomach cancer patient how clinical trials helped her live beyond her diagnosis. #GoBoldly
Caregivers
Partners, Parents and Caregivers
Equally important to the fight for innovation are parents, caregivers of all types and industry advocates who give voice to the needs of others. Read the stories of those making change happen and bringing visibility to issues that might have been left unseen.
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What New Cures Would Mean to Families
In 2021, my husband, Larry and I found ourselves sitting at a medical center receiving the news that Larry was being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. We were so scared. While this was a common dementia-related disease that impacts so many seniors, there wasn’t a catch-all treatment developed yet. We are fortunate to live during a time where science has never been more promising. I hope our nation’s elected leaders don’t forget patients like my husband who are counting on U.S. biopharmaceutical leadership to support advances in medicine. -
Price Setting Policies Undermine Innovation
Throughout my career as a respiratory therapist, I have worked with patients dealing with chronic health conditions. It has been a point of pride in my life to serve seniors in my community and provide them with quality care. -
Meet Benjie, a Father Fighting to Protect His Son
Meet Benjie, a Father Fighting to Protect His Son -
Congress Should Reform PBMs and Avoid Price Setting Policies that Threaten Medical Innovation
Being a caregiver to my husband over the past few years has been a harrowing and eye-opening experience—one that has made me value innovations and advancements in medical care all the more. -
Prescription Price Setting Threatens Drug Development
Prescription Price Setting Threatens Drug Development -
Alisa May, Caregiver to Son with ALD and Advocate for Innovation and Access
Alisa May, Caregiver to Son with ALD and Advocate for Innovation and Access -
Ensuring A Better Future For Her Child: Emily H.
Ensuring A Better Future For Her Child: Emily H. -
VFC Profile: Olga Phillips
Olga Phillips is a retired health care worker from Chatham County, North Carolina. She was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and came to the United States as a teenager with her mother. -
Profile: Sue Millikan
Read more about Sue's journey from type 1 diabetes diagnosis, to positive experience with the Medicare program, to advocate for patient protections within Medicare Part D. -
Sacrificing even one future medicine is unacceptable
Sacrificing even one future medicine is unacceptable -
How America's Health Care System Impacts My Family
How America's Health Care System Impacts My Family -
Advocate Spotlight: Amy J.
Amy shares her fear when first diagnosed with MS, but hope in the future of medicine and support for innovation-first policies. -
We Can’t Fix One Problem by Creating Another
We Can’t Fix One Problem by Creating Another -
Breaking Barriers: Dr. Patricia Carney
Discover how one doctor helps young women break barriers and pursue the careers and paths that inspire them most. #GoBoldly -
Hope for a Cure Someday: Brittney D.
Hope for a Cure Someday: Brittney D. -
Cellular Pioneering: Dr. Jeffrey Conn
Learn how one pioneer in mental health research develops novel treatment strategies for brain disorders. #GoBoldly -
Share the Savings with Seniors: Dan B.
Share the Savings with Seniors: Dan B. -
Fighting for His Wife's Treatment: Erik Q
Fighting for His Wife's Treatment: Erik Q. -
Fighting for Reform: The Honorable Steven Leifman
Learn how one advocate is fighting for reform for mental health inmates. #GoBoldly -
Improving Access to Treatment: Peggy Symons
Learn how one woman is advocating for schizophrenia patients. #GoBoldly -
Relying on Affordable Treatment: Jake L.
Relying on Affordable Treatment: Jake L. -
Advocate Spotlight: Jeanene W.
Jeanene Williams, Medicare Recipient, Caregiver and Advocate Against Price-Setting Legislation -
Everyone Deserves Access to the Right Treatment: Lisa B.
Everyone Deserves Access to the Right Treatment. -
Making Patient Care Personal
Learn how personalized medicine is helping improve health care for all. #GoBoldly -
Advocacy and Mental Health Care
Hear from industry leaders and a patient advocate about mental illness. #GoBoldly -
Rethinking Psychiatric Treatment: Dr. Husseini Manji
Learn how America’s biopharmaceutical researchers are rethinking psychiatric treatment. #GoBoldly -
Innovative Therapies Made His NFL Career Possible: Rolf B.
Innovative Therapies Made His NFL Career Possible: Rolf B. -
Sharing Bold Advancements: Doreen Gentzler
See how Doreen Gentzler has promoted public health issues through her successful broadcast career. #GoBoldly -
Innovator Spotlight: The Critical Nature of Innovation and Collaboration in the Mental Health Space
Hear from patients, advocates and researchers about the importance of collaboration for mental health innovation. #GoBoldly
Researchers
Every day, an army of researchers from America’s biopharmaceutical companies fight to end disease. Their drive to find new treatments and cures is the engine behind medical achievements that help patients live longer, healthier lives. See how scientists are transforming the way we prevent and treat disease.
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Justine Dell'Aringa
Justine Dell’Aringa is director of Translational Medicine at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) where she leads a team of researchers at the organization's Immuno-Oncology and Cell Therapy Thematic Research Center. -
Dr. Leonardo Salese, MD
Dr. Salese’s day-to-day work means he is constantly on the move, working to advise the extensive research process inside Pfizer. -
Dr. Teresa (Teri) Foy, PhD
Teri Foy, Ph.D, is the Senior Vice President of Research and Early Development, Immuno-Oncology and Cell Therapy at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS). In her role, Teri oversees a team of researchers working tirelessly on translating scientific advances in immune effector cell-based therapies into treatments for hematological and solid cancers. -
Dr. Yasmeen Agosti
At Pfizer, Yasmeen works to develop maternal vaccines that have the potential to help prevent diseases from affecting at-risk infants. -
Gokul Swaminathan
Dr. Swaminathan researches potential vaccines that train the body to recognize and kill a pathogen before it leads to infection. -
Stephanie Bartner
Stephanie’s interest in becoming a research analyst for Sanofi was personal. -
Jirong Lu
Jirong Lu, of Eli Lilly and Company, shares her experience seeing a medicine go from the discovery phase to the real world. #GoBoldly -
Anita Gandhi
Hear from a researcher specializing in blood cancers like Multiple Myeloma and Lymphoma. #GoBoldly -
Luiz Miguel Camargo
Dr. Luiz Miguel Camargo is inspired by the fact that the advances in treatment have the potential to reach everyone. #GoBoldly -
Amy Richards
Amy’s father sparked her love of science as a child, and that passion inspires her work today at Sanofi. -
Alice Walsh
Alice from Bristol-Myers Squibb shares how she uses data to better inform how we study disease and improve patient care. -
Craig Mickanin
A biopharmaceutical researcher at Novartis, Craig has spent most of his two-decade career studying cell and gene therapies. -
Dr. Ryan Moslin
Researchers like Ryan at Bristol-Myers Squibb are making strides in lupus treatment that were impossible 10 years ago. -
Jim Martinez, MD
Promising results from clinical trials of CGRP inhibitors bring renewed hope for patients with cluster headache. -
Dr. Joel Trugman
Joel and biopharmaceutical researchers like him work to develop new therapies that prevent migraines before they start. -
David Roth, MD
Dr. David Roth is part of the GSK team studying lupus treatments with the hope of finding a cure. -
Steve Yancey
Steve Yancey and his team work to discover new and better treatments that address the needs of severe asthma patients. -
René van der Merwe
Biologics could bring an end to today’s “one size fits all” approach to treating asthma says René van der Merwe. -
Roland Kolbeck
Dr. Kolbeck led a team of researchers to develop what has become AstraZeneca’s first respiratory biologic treatment. -
Dr. Marie-Claire Peakman
Dr. Marie-Claire Peakman always knew she wanted to make a difference in the world. -
Researcher Profile Rino Rappuoli
Dr. Rino Rappuoli, a scientist at GSK, has helped pioneer vaccines that can help prevent meningococcal meningitis. #GoBoldly -
Andrea Fanjul
For Dr. Andrea Fanjul and a team of scientists at Takeda, it's the patients and their stories that bring purpose to their work. #GoBoldly -
Rebecca Leary
Rebecca Leary works at the forefront of a transformational field of biopharmaceutical research known as precision medicine. -
Christina Kiley
Learn about Dr. Christina Kiley’s work to develop new therapies that target areas of high unmet need. -
Eddy Han-Burgess
Eddy Han-Burgess, a researcher at UCB, is helping find the right epilepsy treatment for the right patient at the right time. #GoBoldly -
Henrik Klitgaard
Dr. Henrik Klitgaard has dedicated his life to pursuing new and better treatments for patients with epilepsy. -
David Cobden
Learn about what America’s biopharmaceutical companies are doing to ensure we can continue to afford innovation. #GoBoldly -
Michael Pride
Learn about Dr. Michael Pride, a Pfizer scientist working on preventative vaccines for Clostridium difficile (C. difficile). #GoBoldly -
Niranjana Nagarajan
Dr. Nagarajan's area of focus is immunology, which examines the way in which the immune system responds to external threats. #GoBoldly -
Nils Lonberg
Dr. Lonberg calls this a historic time in cancer research, with immuno-oncology at the forefront. #GoBoldly -
Doug Williamson
Dr. Doug Williamson works to develop improved treatments to help the millions of Americans living with a mental health condition. #GoBoldly -
Jay Fine
Boehringer Ingelheim's Dr. Jay Fine is one of the researchers helping create a new generation of skin disease treatments. #GoBoldly -
Jane Owens
Dr. Jane Owens, a senior director in Pfizer's Rare Disease Research Unit, shares her experiences researching DMD. #GoBoldly -
Rajeev Venkayya
Dr. Venkayya's work is driven by his desire to create vaccines treatments that can save countless lives in a cost-effective way. #GoBoldly -
Axel Hoos
Dr. Axel Hoos, a senior vice president at GSK leads a team of biopharmaceutical researchers in the area of immuno-oncology. #GoBoldly -
Victor Sloan
Throughout his career, Victor Sloan, MD, has played an active role in searching for a treatment to rheumatic diseases. #GoBoldly -
Carla Canuso
One of the biggest challenges mental health patients face is stigma around mental illness and substance abuse, Carla Canuso says. #GoBoldly -
Ted Johnson
When Ted lost his mother to colon cancer, he felt a personal inspiration to get involved in research to make a difference. #GoBoldly -
Maysoun Shomali
For the last 20 years, Maysoun Shomali has dedicated her life to researching and developing cancer therapies. #GoBoldly -
Eva Kohegyi
Learn what drives one researcher to discover better treatments for neurological and psychiatric diseases. #GoBoldly -
Tim Reilly
Hear from a cancer researcher about his work to transform treatment for oncology patients. #GoBoldly -
Kelly Knee
Discover what drives one researcher to discover better treatments for sick cell disease. #GoBoldly -
Wayne Drevets
Learn what drives one researcher to develop treatments for better mental health. #GoBoldly -
Brian Johns
Learn what drives one researcher to develop treatments that transform the lives of HIV/AIDs patients. #GoBoldly -
Laura Michael
Learn how Dr. Laura Michael’s family history helped shape her research path toward type 2 diabetes. #GoBoldly -
Ian Reynolds
Hear from one researcher committed to changing the lives of patients with neurogenerative diseases. #GoBoldly -
Paul Nioi
Meet one biopharmaceutical researcher making an impact to end heart disease. #GoBoldly -
Matthew Kennedy
Meet a biopharmaceutical researcher who has devoted nearly 20 years to curing Alzheimer’s. #GoBoldly -
Pablo Sardi
Meet one biopharmaceutical researcher who is driven to end Parkinson’s. #GoBoldly -
Jennifer Allport-Anderson
Learn what drives one researcher to discover new treatments for cardiovascular metabolic diseases. #GoBoldly -
Salim Mujais
Learn what drives one researcher to improve the lives of transplant patients. #GoBoldly -
Tom Marsilje
Hear from one researcher who is living with his own cancer diagnosis. #GoBoldly -
Christina Trout
Discover what drives one researcher to revolutionize treatment for cancer patients. #GoBoldly -
Darryle Schoepp
Meet one researcher who has dedicated his career to treating neurological diseases. #GoBoldly -
Eric Rubin
Learn what drives one researcher to revolutionize treatment for cancer patients. #GoBoldly -
Kevin Grove
Discover how one researcher’s family history drives him to treat obesity differently. #GoBoldly -
Dan Skovronsky
Learn what drives one researcher to develop innovative treatments for Alzheimer's patients. #GoBoldly
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