There have been a few stories in the two days since our launch about how the Alliance to Protect Medical Innovation is a “shadowy” effort run by a “Republican lobbying shop” bent on raising drug prices.
Obviously, that is not the case. We never intended to live in the shadows - why else would we go through the hassle of building a website and creating a press list for the express purpose of engaging with reporters?
So, let me introduce myself. My name is Patrick O’Connor, and I am a former reporter for the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Politico (where I covered healthcare among other things). I am now a Partner at CGCN Group and Executive Director for APMI. I believe there has never been a greater need to bring balance to the discussion around the issues of health-care costs and medical innovation. Joining me as the Alliance’s Communications Director is Rosemarie Calabro Tully, a CGCN Group Managing Director, and former staffer for Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Bipartisan Policy Center alum.
APMI’s objective is simple: To highlight the power of medical innovation and the importance of that innovation to patients – while also taking a look at the coordinated and well-funded efforts to fuel much of the current narrative around medical innovation. We will also plan to lay out the consequences of some of the policy proposals floated to address rising health-care costs.
From my vantage as a former reporter, the conversation feels a little one-sided, so we would like to serve as a counter-balance where possible. We also plan to highlight some of the extraordinary medical breakthroughs we witness regularly and, in time, the people behind those innovations - and, most importantly, those who benefit from them.
We are grateful for the support we’ve received so far, and we are in the process of building out a bigger team. While we welcome input from everyone involved, the ultimate editorial discretion is ours. As a former reporter, I understand the impulse to jump on a group with no named leader. But here I am. I hope to talk to many of you frequently in the weeks and months ahead.