Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics

Value of Life Sciences Innovation

Research Program

Value of Life Sciences Innovation

Biomedical advances are at the front lines of transforming healthcare through innovations that benefit countless people. The Value of Life Sciences Innovation (VLSI) program exemplifies the Schaeffer Center’s focus on evidence-based analyses that encourage breakthroughs while developing pricing and reimbursement strategies to help ensure that patients receive the therapies they need.

Program Leadership

Alice Chen, PhD

Senior Scholar, USC Schaeffer Institute
Director, Value of Life Sciences Innovation
Associate Professor, USC Price School of Public Policy
2018-2019 RCMAR Scientist, USC Schaeffer Center

Desi Peneva, MS

Associate Director, Value of Life Sciences Innovation
Research Program Lead, USC Schaeffer Center

Dana Goldman, PhD

Founding Director, USC Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service
University Professor of Public Policy, Pharmacy, and Economics
Special Advisor, USC Provost

Spotlight on PBMs View All

Testimony on Competition Issues in the Prescription Drug Supply Chain

Implementing reforms that increase transparency, align incentives and restore competition can ensure that PBMs fulfill their intended role: helping to make prescription drugs more affordable and accessible for all Americans.

Healthcare Markets

Experts: Neeraj Sood

Pharmacies Excluded from Preferred Networks Face Much Higher Risk of Closure

Medicare Beneficiaries Face Much Higher Drug Costs as Plans Quickly Shift to Coinsurance

How the Secrecy of Middlemen Inflates Drug Prices

Featured Perspective

Ensuring Most-Favored Nation Drug Pricing Doesn’t Sicken Us

Lowering drug prices to European benchmarks would ultimately reduce innovation and make Americans less healthy. Instead, a drug pricing system based on U.S. values would enhance access and support medical progress.

Experts: Darius Lakdawalla, Dana Goldman

Read: Ensuring Most-Favored Nation Drug Pricing Doesn’t Sicken Us

Latest Research View All

Alzheimer’s Drugs Deserve a Second Opinion

A closer look at new Alzheimer’s treatments shows delayed disease progression over multiple years. Medicare should reconsider the costs to patients of maintaining coverage restrictions.

Featured Experts: Paul Aisen, Joseph Grogan

Case Study

Schaeffer Solutions: Addressing the Obesity Crisis

Perspective

$2 Million Gene Therapy Cures Require a Financing Model

Journal Article

GLP-1 Therapy and the Reshaping of Socioeconomic Gradients in Health

In The News View All

STAT News

Schiller urges FDA to establish formal procedures for commissioner’s voucher program

Featured Experts: Lowell Schiller

Pink Sheet

Chen warns MFN could have unintended consequences and highlights need for US value-based pricing

Featured Experts: Alice Chen

MinnPost

Mulligan explains how 340B program encourages hospitals to favor more expensive drugs

Featured Experts: Karen Mulligan

WGBH

Kanter addresses psychedelics executive order and outlines concerns with the FDA commissioner’s voucher program

Featured Experts: Genevieve P. Kanter

Bloomberg

Lakdawalla explains why MFN could hold back new treatments in Europe

Featured Experts: Darius Lakdawalla

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