Council for American Medical Innovation

September 17, 2009
Rayburn House Office Building Room B338

On September 17, 2009, the Council for American Medical Innovation held the second event in a series of three breakfast briefings on Capitol Hill. The briefing, entitled “Translational Research: From Bench to Bedside,” was a great success with over 55 attendees including Hill staffers, patient groups, and Council partners.

The event was opened by Council President Debra Lappin, who moderated a panel discussion with Amy Comstock Rick, CEO, Parkinson’s Action Network; Alan Leshner, Ph.D., CEO, American Association for the Advancement of Science; and Lesa Mitchell, Vice President, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

• Watch the Video
• Read the Press Release
• Read more about the briefing from the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Highlights from the Discussion:

Alan Leshner described translational research as the bidirectional process of moving basic research into its ultimate goal: clinical application. It is bidirectional because, often times, clinical observations can be critical in posing new questions for basic science. Translational Research refines new collaborations between basic and clinical researchers. The American Association for the Advancement of Science’s new journal, Translational Science, will provide a new platform for translational research interchange providing a new, critical platform for leaders in the field to discuss and share findings.

The Panel examined the well-described “valley of death,” where moving an idea from basic research into proof of concept in human subjects is becoming increasing difficult. Good ideas are ignored and 'left on the bench' or languish due to the evaporation of resources for early stage investment.  Venture capitalists are hesitant to invest in risky and expensive new and pharmaceutical companies are increasingly risk averse.

Amy Comstock Rick cited lack of public investment and an NIH infrastructure specifically targeted to translational research other obstacles. She explained that, ideally, new public funding streams will support the early drug development phase, allowing ideas generated through basic biomedical research to travel through the pipeline at an accelerated speed.  These ideas would then be "readied" for adoption and investment by pharmaceutical companies and eventually approved by the FDA.

Ms. Rick called for policy support to address these challenges, specifically a restructuring within NIH so that the institution was more adept at supporting translational research both internally and through the extramural program.  An office of translational research within the office of the director of the NIH could bring together all parties in the pipeline in order to decide how to adequately support translational research. A new peer review structure, sensitive to the needs of translational research, would be part of this internal realignment.  

Lesa Mitchell noted the need to explore and fund models to “de-risk” investment in new innovative therapies. Universities are increasingly investing in translational research centers to foster the connection between basic research and translational research while non-profits are stepping in to provid new focus and incentives. Ms. Mitchell stressed that incentive alignment is critical. She said incentives for data sharing, establishing milestones within grants, and creating policy that encourage and reward collaboration are all necessary to bridge the translational research gap.

Also in the “Recovery Through Discovery” Briefing Series:

Incentives for American Medical Innovation - Protecting America's Greatest Innovators

October 5, 2009, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Rayburn House Office Building, Room B338