Featured Post from VCU College of Engineering

The Value of a Cure and Do All Americans Benefit from Medical Breakthroughs?

Mar 6, 2017

2 min

B. Frank Gupton, Ph.D.Thomas D. Roper, Ph.D.

On February 28, 2017 policymakers, health officials, industry representatives and patient advocates were meeting in Washington to discuss the ‘value of a cure’ – the costs, the public health benefits and how America will move forward following the passage of the 21st Century Cures legislation.


The Act, which was signed in December promises to accelerate funding for biomedical research while it also loosens regulations governing drugs and medical equipment and devices.


Innovations in medical research and technology have produced cures and breakthrough therapies to overcome diseases that were once considered a death sentence. Polio is preventable with a vaccine, HIV is managed with a daily drug regimen, and Hepatitis C now has a cure.


But are these breakthroughs reaching all communities? How can we balance the high costs of drug development with affordability? And what can we do to ensure that new cures continue to be developed?


This is where Virginia Commonwealth University can help. Our experts are thought leaders and are some of the go-to opinions in this field.


Dr. Thomas Roper is a professor and the director of the Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering at the VCU School of Engineering. Thomas specializes in efforts to bring engineering and science closer to patients who utilize medicines via novel technologies.


Dr. Frank Gupton is a professor and the chair of the Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering at the VCU School of Engineering. He leads the school’s Medicines for All project that is striving to reduces costs of treatment for AIDS. He is an award-winning researcher and an expert in his field.


Both Dr. Roper and Dr. Gupton are available to speak with media regarding this very important issue. Simply click on either of their icons to arrange an interview.


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B. Frank Gupton, Ph.D.

B. Frank Gupton, Ph.D.

Floyd D. Gottwald, Jr. Chair in Pharmaceutical Engineering, Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering

Professor Gupton's research is focused on the development of new technologies that will streamline organic synthesis

Cross-Coupling CatalysisFlow Chemistry / Continual Chemical ProcessingOrganic Synthesis in Pharmaceutical Applications
Thomas D. Roper, Ph.D.

Thomas D. Roper, Ph.D.

Graduate Program Director, Chemical & Life Science Engineering | Director, Pharmaceutical Engineering | Engineering Foundation Professor

Dr. Roper specializes in efforts to bring engineering and science closer to patients who utilize medicines via novel technologies.

Metabolic Engineering and Biocatalysis3D Printing of Dose FormsLong Acting Therapy DevelopmentNanomaterials and Particle SciencesContinuous Chemical Reaction Engineering
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