In this episode, Duane Schulthess is joined by Sam Rasty, Chief Business Officer at Sensorium Therapeutics, Steve Potts, Chair of the Drug Development Council at the International Cancer Advocacy Network, and Joe Hammang, neuroscientist and US Business Director at Vital Transformation, to discuss how U.S. health policy is reshaping neuroscience innovation, investment priorities, and patient access.

Key Topics:
- Investment and R&D Strategy Shifts: Explore how the Inflation Reduction Act’s pricing controls and Medicare negotiations change venture capital allocation and steer neuroscience pipelines.
- Patient Advocacy and Access Barriers: Guests discuss how formulary rules, generic-first requirements, and uneven advocacy across diseases affect drug adoption and innovation incentives.
- Neuroscience Development Hurdles: The discussion highlights how social stigma around psychiatric conditions, fragmented orphan-disease incentives, and small-molecule exclusivity gaps slow CNS drug progress.
- Legislative Fix Imperatives: Contributors outline proposed solutions such as the EPIC Act and expanded orphan-designation policies aimed at restoring balanced incentives for novel therapies.
- Ecosystem Collaboration: The conversation covers the essential partnership between NIH funding, biotech startups, and pharmaceutical companies in advancing drugs from discovery to patients.

This episode examines the policy, economic, and social factors influencing neuroscience drug discovery and the importance of communicating biotech’s value. It also highlights the need to improve the biotech narrative so that policymakers and the public understand its contributions. It is essential listening for industry leaders, investors, policymakers, and patient advocates seeking insight into innovation challenges and solutions.

In this episode, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/duane-schulthess-66ba39b7/">Duane Schulthess</a>&nbsp;is joined by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-rasty-ph-d-2027332/">Sam Rasty</a>, Chief Business Officer at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/sensorium-therapeutics/">Sensorium Therapeutics</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-potts/">Steve Potts</a>, Chair of the Drug Development Council at the <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-cancer-advocacy-network-ican-/">International Cancer Advocacy Network</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-hammang-ph-d-18bbb651/">Joe Hammang</a>, neuroscientist and US Business Director at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/vital-transformation/">Vital Transformation</a>, to discuss how U.S. health policy is reshaping neuroscience innovation, investment priorities, and patient access.
Key Topics: - Investment and R&amp;D Strategy Shifts: Explore how the Inflation Reduction Act&rsquo;s pricing controls and Medicare negotiations change venture capital allocation and steer neuroscience pipelines. - Patient Advocacy and Access Barriers: Guests discuss how formulary rules, generic-first requirements, and uneven advocacy across diseases affect drug adoption and innovation incentives. - Neuroscience Development Hurdles: The discussion highlights how social stigma around psychiatric conditions, fragmented orphan-disease incentives, and small-molecule exclusivity gaps slow CNS drug progress. - Legislative Fix Imperatives: Contributors outline proposed solutions such as the EPIC Act and expanded orphan-designation policies aimed at restoring balanced incentives for novel therapies. - Ecosystem Collaboration: The conversation covers the essential partnership between NIH funding, biotech startups, and pharmaceutical companies in advancing drugs from discovery to patients.
This episode examines the policy, economic, and social factors influencing neuroscience drug discovery and the importance of communicating biotech&rsquo;s value. It also highlights the need to improve the biotech narrative so that policymakers and the public understand its contributions. It is essential listening for industry leaders, investors, policymakers, and patient advocates seeking insight into innovation challenges and solutions.

Duane Schulthess is the CEO of Vital Transformation, host and producer of Vital Health Podcast.  Vital Transformation understands the implications of new medical procedures, technologies and regulations. We measure their impact upon treatment pathways and the biopharma innovation ecosystem in collaboration with health care professionals, researchers, and regulators. Through our web platform and client network, we are able to communicate our findings with international decision makers and stakeholders.

Duane Schulthess is the CEO of Vital Transformation, host and producer of Vital Health Podcast.  Vital Transformation understands the implications of new medical procedures, technologies and regulations. We measure their impact upon treatment pathways and the biopharma innovation ecosystem in collaboration with health care professionals, researchers, and regulators. Through our web platform and client network, we are able to communicate our findings with international decision makers and stakeholders.

Duane Schulthess, Managing Director of Vital Tran…

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