Barbara Handelin.
Today’s biopharmaceutical companies have a primary duty baked into their corporate charter to maximize profits over all other duties, responsibilities, and objectives. While profits are necessary for a sustainable business, when they are the primary driver, every decision made is in service to them. Therefore, solving or relieving disease suffering becomes secondary to finding great market opportunities.
UCWC Member Barbara Handelin is the founder of the first public benefit pharmaceutical company, Audacity Therapeutics, and of a related mission-driven, non-predatory investment fund. Both were created to serve all patients who lack effective treatment for serious conditions — recognizing that this applies to most of us. Their promise: make high medical impact, sustainably priced drugs. Barbara will share Audacity Fund and Company’s overarching principles that apply to her UU Spiritual Path of having the courage to stand up for justice, compassion, and contributing to a better world.