"Pharma Is Not Coming" — Patient Groups Are Now Drug Developers | Sunitha Malepati & Craig Lipset

Sunitha Malepati is the Founder and CEO of the Buffalo Initiative. When her daughter was diagnosed with a rare neurogenetic condition, the doctor told them: "Go home and love your kid. There's nothing we can do." She refused to accept that answer.

Craig Lipset is a clinical innovation leader, former Head of Clinical Innovation at Pfizer, and co-chairs the Decentralized Trials & Research Alliance.

In Today's Episode:

• "Go home and love your kid" — what one doctor said after diagnosis
• Why pharma can't — and won't — solve ultra-rare diseases
• 7,000+ rare conditions with no treatments
• "Lemonade stands and bake sales" funding clinical trials
• The Buffalo Initiative: bundling and blending patient capital
• California leading state-level rare disease investment
• "This IS an investable proposition"
• Advice for biotechs, patients, and pharma

SHOW NOTES

Sunitha Malepati — Founder & CEO, Buffalo InitiativeAttorney turned rare disease advocate. Two-time Chan Zuckerberg Initiative grantee. Speaker at the White House Cell and Gene Therapy Forum.

• Buffalo Initiative (Founder & CEO)
• CACNA1A Foundation (Vice President)
• COMBINEDBrain (Governing Board)LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunitha-malepati-5959952/

Craig Lipset — Clinical Leader, Buffalo Initiative | Co-Chair, DTRA20+ years transforming drug development. Former Head of Clinical Innovation at Pfizer.

• Buffalo Initiative (Clinical Leader)
• Decentralized Trials & Research Alliance (Co-Chair)
• Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (VP, Board)LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lipset/

Resources:Buffalo Initiative: https://www.buffaloinitiative.org/DTRA: https://www.dtra.org/CACNA1A Foundation: https://www.cacna1a.org/