Van Andel comments on health care

While the Van Andel Institute directly impacts health care, what researchers do at the institute is still a mystery to many people, David Van Andel said during a panel discussion at the regional policy conference this morning.

The work of VAI researchers will ultimately affect the cost of health care because the VAI is beginning to push medicine down to the personalized level, he said. That will translate into lower health care costs, he said, because treatments for individual patients will be highly targeted -- and money won't have to be wasted on trying a number of drugs before hitting on the right one or the right combination.

Van Andel said there are issues at both the state and federal levels that impact the VAI and its work At the federal level, there's the Food and Drug Administration and the long, arduous process of going through all the FDA channels to get approval for a new drug.

"If I make a discovery it can take 20 years and $850 million before I can bring that discovery to the market place," he said.

Van Andel noted that with the security measures put in place after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, restrictions tightened on green cards and that has made it more difficult to recruit scientists from other countries. This country is decades away from growing its own scientists, he said, so the institute has to recruit from other countries.

At the state level, he said, there's the Small Business Tax, which presents a barrier to start up companies -- companies that might want to spin off new discoveries made here -- and sends the message that Michigan is not really open for business.

Anne Emrich, reporter