The Financial Landscape of Pharmaceuticals

In this “Best of” edition, host Duane Schulthess revisits two landmark conversations on the long-term impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) on the biopharmaceutical industry. First, Peter Kolchinsky (Managing Partner, RA Capital Management; Steering Committee Member, No Patient Left Behind), explains why nine-year negotiation timelines for small molecules undermine early-stage R&D and how extending biologics to 13 years still falls short of the “social contract” Congress originally intended. Then, John LaMattina (former President of Pfizer Global R&D; Senior Partner, PureTech Health) discusses how real-world IRA pricing is reshaping pipelines, discovery priorities, and venture capital strategies.

Key Topics:

• IRA negotiation timelines and their effect on R&D decisions
• Differential price-setting mechanisms: nine years for small molecules vs. 13 years for biologics
• Patient access challenges under out-of-pocket caps and the case for insurance reform
• The march-in rights debate and its (limited) practical impact
• Shifts in VC focus and logical portfolio rebalancing

Read our research on the impacts of the IRA: https://vitaltransformation.com/2025/04/inflation-reduction-act-two-years-on-investor-behavior-rd-impacts-proposed-solutions/

Originally broadcast Jan 17, 2024 and Mar 27, 2024. Edited and compiled Aug 2025. Opinions expressed are those of the speakers.

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