In this episode of The Issue, Sara Johnson Davis, Senior Director of Government Affairs at Ardelyx and former Vice President, Head of Patient Advocacy & Policy at Fulcrum Therapeutics, joins host Sanjay D’Souza, PhD, to discuss the essential role of patient advocacy in cell and gene therapy.

The conversation covers the evolving role of patient advocacy in drug development, from early research and clinical trial design to policy, commercialization, and access. Sara shares lessons from the sickle cell disease community, reflects on the transition of gene editing from experimental science to approved therapy, and explains why trust, infrastructure, and policy are essential to ensuring transformative treatments actually reach patients.

Music: ‘Bright New Morning’ by Steven O’Brien – released under CC-BY 4.0. https://www.steven-obrien.net/