For years, Massachusetts has been the best place in the world for the life sciences, and for patients. This stature has become even more profound in light of the industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 100 companies in Massachusetts alone leaping into action to develop diagnostics, therapies, and vaccines to address the pandemic and its ill effects. Now, ahead of MassBio’s annual State of Possible Conference, we asked our speakers what it is that makes Massachusetts the State of Possible and what the industry must do to build a better future for patients around the world. Here’s what they had to say:
“We are surrounded by reminders of what is possible, from every Boston Post Road to the Cambridge Assembly (Ford à Polaroid à MIT), and now to Boynton Yards. For generations, the people of Massachusetts have innovated and worked hard to solve problems here at home and around the world. And for generations, we have attracted people from across the US and the world to come to join us as our neighbors, classmates, and colleagues to work together to study, experiment, and build.
“We must continue to celebrate the new therapies that are developed each year and show clinically and statistically meaningful benefit. But we also need to celebrate the fundamental research and curiosity that helps elucidate how our bodies work and why we get sick. All of us are patients, and we all deserve cutting edge medicines backed by the best evidence.”
– Vikas Goyal, SVP, Business Development, Pandion Therapeutics
“Talent, venture capital, academic research centers, curiosity culture and can-do attitude makes Massachusetts so efficient at turning new ideas into businesses.
“Precision medicine is here and now is the time to unpack why and how disease happen at the molecular level. We also have digital and diagnostic technologies evolving at a rapid pace to a point where we can capture most of the data necessary to measure what is going on in the patient. We need the industry to focus more on cures and less on disease management.”
– Sebastian Lefebvre, Senior Director of Data Science, Genomics and Bioinformatics, Alexion
“As a 2x cancer survivor, I have no doubt that the pace of innovation within the Massachusetts ecosystem will expedite the process to pave the way for patients to “PREPARE PRESENT PREVAIL®” so more patients like me can be possible. Rather than asking patients to beat the odds, it is time to change the odds.”
– Loriana Aldama Hernandez, Chief Warrior, ArmorUp for Life
“To build a better future for patients around the world, we must improve access to healthcare. This requires a focus on addressing health disparities and increasing clinical trial diversity. At Bristol Myers Squibb, we are embracing a variety of approaches to ensure we capture data that reflects the diversity and complexity of the patients we serve to ultimately increase health equity to improve patient outcomes. I look forward to discussing this important topic with other industry leaders at the MassBio State of Possible Conference.”
– Kate Owen, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Development Operations, Bristol Myers Squibb
To learn more about why Massachusetts is the State of Possible and to see these speakers in action, register to attend the State of Possible Conference on May 19, 2021.