Ron Cohen on diversity and inclusion
From Amplifying Scientific Innovation® Video Podcast with Dr. Ron Cohen, CEO, Acorda Therapeutics · · TheSophiaConsultingFirm
“On diversity and inclusion: it needs to be done locally at every company — every leadership team and board needs to get religion about this; sometimes you need a kick start (California's rule about board representation can help), but the trick is doing it without creating so much resentment that it becomes counterproductive.”
On , Ron Cohen, Former CEO at Acorda Therapeutics, spoke about diversity and inclusion during Amplifying Scientific Innovation® Video Podcast with Dr. Ron Cohen, CEO, Acorda Therapeutics on TheSophiaConsultingFirm.
About Ron Cohen
In a March 2022 podcast interview, Ron Cohen, then President, CEO, and Founder of Acorda Therapeutics, discussed the company's history and challenges. He stated that the company lost its patents on the drug Ampyra after a judge overturned them, a decision he described as "capricious" and "unfair," noting the same patents were upheld in Europe. He said the company subsequently lost most of its revenue from the drug and had to restructure multiple times. Cohen also described the launch of an inhaled form of levodopa for Parkinson's disease in March 2019, which he called a "vital drug," but said commercial and reimbursement challenges followed the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cohen shared his perspective on company culture, stating that everyone at the company should consider themselves as "practicing medicine" with a responsibility to prioritize what is best for the patient. He also recounted the creation of a spoof Twitter handle, "ron cohen's hair," which he said became a "little piece of biotech history." On diversity and inclusion, Cohen said it "needs to be done locally at every company" and that leadership teams need to "get religion about this," while cautioning against creating resentment.