Our winter supplement deals with a problem that is, unfortunately, not an unfamiliar one. While the prescription drug industry can make important discoveries, these innovations fail to make an impact if they are cost prohibitive to those who need them. Pharmaceutical companies will also be less inclined to make these strides without the financial incentive and support to do so. The papers in this supplemental issue, “Promoting Drug and Vaccine Innovation and Ensuring Fair Prices,” address this struggle by presenting three policy statements, each written by one of the guest editors — Aaron Kesselheim, Ameet Sarpatwari, and Benjamin Rome. The collection also includes commentaries on these statements from esteemed experts in fields such as public health, medicine, and economics. We are pleased to share this meaningful work with our readers.
As I write this letter, it is my final week working at ASLME. Over 16 years ago, I began at ASLME handling membership, and since then I have staffed countless ASLME events and became assistant editor of the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics. With perspective from ASLME’s pillars of membership, conferences, and publications, I have seen the many ways ASLME brings people and ideas from different disciplines together and the importance of these collaborations, especially in the wake of pivotal events such as the coronavirus pandemic and the Dobbs decision. While there are many organizations and platforms out there, the work that ASLME does is special, and it cannot exist without the support of our members, subscribers, and conference registrants.
I would like to take these last words to acknowledge the wonderful colleagues that I have had at ASLME, especially Conference & Membership Director Katie Johnson and Executive Director Ted Hutchinson. Both have long histories with the Society, and whether it’s Katie’s attention to detail and friendliness at Health Law Professors or the astute leadership and brilliance Ted brings to JLME, their influence is likely responsible for what you love about ASLME.
I know that ASLME will continue to bring forth impactful scholarship, such as what is published in this supplement, and I thank this community for allowing me to play a part in this work for all these years.
