Activism to us means speaking up for vulnerable populations, calling attention to vulnerable moments, and joining the discourse around what social supports provide safety to each other.
As a pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare company providing quality products to aid women’s bodily health and comfort, we know the importance of clinical research. We rely on data to maximize our products’ effect on the women we are supporting.
Recently, the U.S. government’s Department of Government Efficiency proposed a series of cuts to research funding. FemmePharma, like our pharma colleagues, partners with academic institutions, as regular practice. Through them, we gain access to preclinical and clinical research, formulation and development, and other forms of technology transfer. The future of informed pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, and healthcare, is at risk.
When academic institutions lose research funding, pharma companies like us, who rely on that data, lose. The bottom line is you—health and remedy-seeking individuals—lose bigtime, because without accurate date on you, we cannot create the products you need.
We’ve identified three areas that speak to Pharma’s critical collaboration with academic institutions.
Driving innovation & technological advancement
Universities give access to basic research, which fuels discovery. Industries use discoveries for commercialization, and they help companies maintain a competitive edge, too. The multidisciplinary approach employed by many universities means that challenges get solved through the benefit of combined expertise—a good model for industry. Academia and industry partnerships ultimately bridge the knowledge gap, creating innovative solutions for our many world challenges.
Access to expertise & talent
Universities cultivate a skilled workforce by producing graduates who are ready to drive industry growth with their specialized knowledge. These institutions offer mentorship and training programs, which help students-cum-professionals advance in their fields, and provide industry with access to researchers and students. All of this enhances research commercialization.
Translating research into practice
Collaboration is crucial in translating research into practice because it converts academic findings into actionable, commercial applications. Universities provide access to resources—and their facilities are essential for supporting extensive R&D initiatives. These industry-academia partnerships can also lead to funding opportunities through joint ventures.
What, now?
At FemmePharma, we already feel the loss. For example, one of our research partners had to lay off most of its staff, so we can’t recruit their participants for a pivotal phase 3 study. We are exploring collaboration with academic partners outside of the U.S. but are hearing concern from our allies in Western Europe—over the rhetoric and policies of our current administration.
Here’s a FemmePharma-favorite analogy: when a surgeon wants to remove a lesion, she uses a scalpel, not a machete.
We need this kind of approach to budget control, especially regarding research—keep what works and get rid of what doesn’t, because our lives depend on it. A thorough approach to structure research funding is how we can continue building the knowledge we need to support us all with solutions to live well.
P.S. Our CEO, Gerie, raised these points in a letter she recently wrote to Senator McCormick (R-PA). We encourage everyone to step into your agency and speak up for what you believe in. What do you want your elected officials to pay attention to? Use your voice and tell them!