Inside STAT: An outsider rises to pharma's defense

Most of the donors of the Alliance to Protect Medical Innovation have remained in the dark. But Patrick O’Connor, a former journalist and APMI’s executive director, has attached his name to the organization. He wants to emphasize that APMI — which aims to “help educate policymakers and the public” about drug industry breakthroughs — isn’t a shadowy pharma front group. In an interview with STAT, O'Connor said APMI is planning to focus on bolstering the drug industry's reputation and highlighting its work. But the group also sees itself in part as a counterweight to the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, the nonprofit that has taken an outsized interest in high drug prices. STAT’s Ike Swetlitz has more on O’Connor here.