News

Appoints Dr. Melanie Whittington as Managing Director and Head of the Center for Pharmacoeconomics

BOSTON, MA – October 22, 2024 – Leerink Partners’ affiliate, MEDACorp, announced today the launch of a new division, the Center for Pharmacoeconomics (CPE), which will be dedicated to advancing the understanding of the societal benefits of healthcare treatments in the United States. Dr. Melanie Whittington, PhD, a recognized leader in pharmacoeconomics, will serve as Managing Director and Head of the CPE division of MEDACorp.

CPE’s mission is to be the storyteller of healthcare innovation. CPE will provide commentaries, analyses, and resources to help the industry understand the long-term societal impact of pharmaceuticals and how innovation occurs. CPE was launched in response to academic experts and professional health economic societies calling for a broader view of value for healthcare treatments. The center’s approach will examine not only the healthcare costs and health benefits of a treatment, but also its impact on outcomes such as patient productivity, caregiver time, and equity to provide a broad and patient-centered view of value. CPE is dedicated to being a catalyst for change in economic evaluation to foster healthcare innovation and improve societal outcomes.

“With Mel’s distinguished expertise in health economics and her leadership in value assessment, the Center for Pharmacoeconomics is positioned to become a key authority in economic evaluation,” said Jim Kelly, President of MEDACorp. “The evaluations, insights, and resources provided by CPE will be invaluable for stakeholders navigating the value demonstration landscape, promoting healthcare innovation, and fostering meaningful advancements in patient-centered economic evaluation.”

Dr. Whittington is internationally known for applying and developing economic evaluation methods to assess the value of pharmaceuticals. She is also a Senior Fellow within the Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health at Tufts Medical Center. Prior to joining CPE, she founded a health economics consultancy committed to developing and testing novel methods for economic evaluation. Before that, she served as Director of Health Economics at the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER).

“During a time of increased scrutiny over pharmaceutical prices, understanding and appreciating the value that healthcare interventions provide has never been more important,” said Dr. Whittington. “CPE is committed to providing the U.S. healthcare industry with evaluations and insights that account for the broader societal impacts of healthcare interventions. By doing so, we aim to shape a future where the value of healthcare innovations is celebrated, and societal outcomes are prioritized.”

To learn more, visit: https://www.leerink.com/insight/cpe/.

About MEDACorp
MEDACorp LLC is an affiliate of Leerink Partners LLC.  MEDACorp maintains both a global network of independent healthcare professionals providing industry and market insights to its clients and the Center for Pharmacoeconomics to evaluate the societal impacts of healthcare innovations. Through its global network and its Center for Pharmacoeconomics, MEDACorp supports Leerink Partners and its clients by providing unique perspectives on industry trends, market developments, emerging opportunities within the healthcare sector, and health economics.

About The Center for Pharmacoeconomics
The Center for Pharmacoeconomics (“CPE”) is a division of MEDACorp. CPE is committed to advancing the understanding and evaluating the economic and societal benefits of healthcare treatments in the United States. Through its thought leadership, evaluations, and advisory services, CPE supports decisions intended to improve societal outcomes.

About Leerink Partners
Leerink Partners is a highly specialized healthcare investment bank with a legacy of excellence in the financial industry. The firm’s experienced team delivers innovative advisory solutions, capital raising expertise, and unique insights to empower clients to achieve their strategic objectives. Since inception the firm has advised on $60 billion of M&A, helped clients raise over $165 billion in capital, and has established itself as a trusted partner to healthcare companies and their investors. The firm is a broker-dealer registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Leerink Partners for the Center for Pharmacoeconomics
Contact: Diane Vieira
(617) 918-4097

Prosek Partners for the Center for Pharmacoeconomics
Contact: Michael Schutsky
(646) 818-9251