A great deal has been said about health policy and especially about changes to the Affordable Care Act. Will this have an impact on pharmaceuticals and especially on innovation in pharmaceuticals?

Yes, there will be an impact as the market adjusts to any changes created by congress, and to the uncertainties in the exchange and individual insurance product areas. Changes to the funding of Medicaid programs could impact the coverage of new therapies for rare genetic disorders. Changes to the rules regarding essential benefits and penalties for non-enrollment  could change insurance purchased on state and federal exchanges. However, this will not decrease the need for patients to have access to new, life saving treatments. We will need to stay aware of changes in public policy but we should not let it deter us from moving ahead with new technologies and new approaches to patient care.