Overall, What Is Your Biggest Biopharma Industry-Related Concern?

The current reputation of the biopharmaceutical industry will harm our ability to thrive. A Gallup poll on American sentiment on business sectors ranked pharma last in a list of 25 industries. Such a poor reputation threatens to discourage future scientists and innovators from pursuing biopharmaceutical careers. It could hamper the availability of capital to fund our risky and expensive endeavors through investors or product pricing that enables reinvestment in future research. Industry organizations like BIO are working to articulate what we do – but that’s not enough. Our industry must spend time talking to their friends and families about what motivates us to work in the labs and offices throughout the country so that Americans can understand our commitment and value how the work we do is crucial to their lives.

JULIA OWENS, PH.D., is president, CEO, and cofounder of Millendo Therapeutics, a company focused on endocrine drug development.