Episode 127: MS Activism with California Assemblymember Jim Wood

This past year, a bill was introduced in the California State Assembly that would create more transparency among pharmaceutical companies and make more lower-cost generic drugs available to Californians by making it easier for the California Attorney General to prosecute pharmaceutical companies for so-called "pay for delay" deals.   MS Activists in California talked to our state legislators, asking them to support this bill, known as AB 824, and on January 1st, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 824 into law. My guest is the author of AB 824, California Assemblymember Jim Wood. We're talking with Assemblymember Wood about what it was like to guide a bill that the pharmaceutical industry came out against through the state legislature and see it signed into law.    We'll share results of a new study that shows that undiagnosed and under-diagnosed depression is a serious problem that negatively impacts the quality of life among many older adults living with MS.   We'll tell you about a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that leaves the fate of the Affordable Care Act in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court -- and what that means for people living with MS.    And we'll tell you about Dr. Francisco Quintana, this year's recipient of the Barancik Prize for exceptional innovation and originality in MS research.   We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! ___________   Where I'm Going to Be This Month  :22 Can You Help Me Out?  2:14 Barancik Prize Awarded to Dr. Francisco Quintana   5:25 Untreated Depression Negatively Impacts Older Adults Living with MS  7:21 Judge Hands FDA a Loss on Stem Cell Clinics  10:59 Appeals Court Won't Review Affordable Care Act Decision  13:17 My Interview with California Assemblymember Jim Wood  17:20 Share This Episode  27:01 Download the RealTalk MS App  27:27 ___________ SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/127 ___________ ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: [email protected]: (310) 526-2283 ___________ LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com Jon's WALK MS Fundraising Page STUDY: Under-Treated Depression Negatively Impacts Lifestyle Behaviors, Participation, and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Older People with Multiple Sclerosis Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Give RealTalk MS a Rating & Review ___________ Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 127 Hosted By: Jon Strum Guests: California Assemblymember Jim Wood Tags: MS, MultipleSclerosis, MSResearch, MSActivist, MSSociety,  RealTalkMS Privacy Policy