RTW Podcast Episode 302: Innovation is the Best Medicine: Rod Wong on Driving Innovation and Fixing the Affordability Crisis
Episode Description
American medical care rests on two pillars: innovation and affordability. Get either one wrong and patients pay the price. RTW's Rod Wong joins Stephanie Sirota to unpack both. On innovation, they trace the “Innovation Treadmill,” the cycle that forces drugmakers to keep discovering new medicines as older ones lose exclusivity and go generic, and why that cycle is even more fragile than it looks. On affordability, they get into what's actually driving costs: the relative bargain Americans get on drug prices, the near-total absence of price transparency in medical care, and the revenue that flows to insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, and hospitals instead of to the innovators taking the risk.
Podcast Team
• Producer: Katerina Rosen
• Editor: Matt Colbourne
• Executive Editorial Advisor: Stephanie Sirota
• Editorial Advisor: Jim Heins
• Theme Music: Goofy by Danny Shields and Mague by Jozeque
Featuring: Rod Wong, Founder, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer at RTW Investments, moderated by Stephanie Sirota, Partner and Chief Business Officer at RTW Investments.
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Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
01:48 – The Drug Innovation Treadmill
05:04 – The Economics of Innovation
08:22 – Gene Therapy at a Crossroads
11:05 – Fixing Healthcare’s Incentive Problem
12:27 – A Policy Roadmap for Reform
16:21 – Rebalancing the System
18:28 – Closing Thoughts
Disclaimer
This interview features Rod Wong, Founder, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer at RTW Investments, in conversation with Stephanie Sirota, Partner and Chief Business Officer at RTW Investments.
Statements by RTW personnel reflect their own views and opinions as of the date of recording and are subject to change without notice. Nothing in this episode is intended as investment advice, a recommendation to buy or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation to provide investment advisory services. The views expressed are those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of RTW Investments, its affiliates, or its clients. This content is for informational purposes only.
