14-May-2012

On April 23-24, 2012, the Austen BioInnovation Institute hosted a conference in Akron, Ohio, focused on value-driven engineering. Faster Cures, a think tank working to accelerate the progress of discovery and development of new medical solutions, reviewed the conference in its blog post, "Engineering Value into Medical Innovation."

Kristin Schneeman of Faster Cures described a presentation by Debra Lappin of FaegreBD Consulting on "Clinical Utility and Patient Centricity" as one of the conference's "most thought-provoking sessions." Schneeman said that Lappin "delivered an eye-opening view of the 'patient as design engineer,' highlighting the experiences of famous patients, such as the painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, along with her own battle grappling with the debilitating effects" of ankylosing spondylitis.

"She made a forceful case for the importance of putting the patient at the center - in fact and not only in words - of policy discussions about how to create more innovative approval pathways at FDA, and balancing risks and benefits of new therapies," Schneeman added.