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Expect More From... Drug Pricing!

Writer's picture: Christine JohnstonChristine Johnston

Updated: Dec 4, 2023


“If I could see the world through the eyes of a child” is a popular song by Patsy Cline and remakes by others. This is also a common tag line from many wellness articles such as 9 Reasons Why You Should View The World Through A Child’s Eyes (wallstreetinsanity.com). This week I was struck by a brilliant 14-year-old boy recently receiving the honors of 3M’s America’s Top Young Scientist. Heman Bekele was born in Ethiopia and moved to the United States at the age of 4. Those early years were impressionable, stirring in him the desire to create his mission: “Curing cancer, one bar of soap at a time.”


Heman recognized, even as a small child, the harsh reality for most living in Ethiopia. Working in grueling outdoor conditions under the hot sun was the experience of many. Almost a decade later, he fueled his inspiration into tackling skin cancer with the simplicity of a bar of soap. In his own words he knew it would need to be a “constant” in many people’s lives, as well as an item which was “most convenient and most trustworthy.” Many in the US and throughout the world do not trust the healthcare system for a variety of reasons. Heman, and his mentor Deborah Isabelle, created a working prototype based on known past compounds to reactivate the body’s natural defense mechanism to fight against cancer cells. Their efforts are truly remarkable.

Several days later, I was reading Goodroot’s 2023 Gene Therapy’s Financial Blueprint: Cost vs. Cure. The article focused on exciting break through therapies. The dream of gene therapy is now a reality, with the scope of genetic treatments expanding to prevalent conditions. The authors highlighted bladder cancer as the world’s 7th most common cancer which now has gene therapy indication for a large population. The article goes on to provide strategies for mitigating financial risks and ensuring these novel therapies are used in a clinically appropriate manner. While all this information is accurate and useful, I couldn’t help thinking about Heman Bekele. These potentially life-changing gene therapies do not strike me as being financially accessible and trustworthy. The article states that self-insured employers must be prepared to justify the required accompanying healthcare budget investment. Do businesses really desire to be placed in the middle of the patient and provider to “yield better health outcomes for members but also drive a stronger return on investment,” especially if their business is outside the healthcare industry, let alone complex therapeutic interventions? Do we have to accept this new financial reality, or can we channel Heman’s vision?


As a parent of a school aged child excitedly preparing for his own Invention Convention this year, we send a heartfelt gratitude to all the teachers and mentors supporting the next generation of scientists. Keep Heman Bekele’s words of wisdom close to your heart regarding an everyday household product such as soap, let it be a “symbol of hope, accessibility and world where skin cancer treatment is within reach for all.”

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