FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Angels for Change Convenes First Ever SummitONE PolicyLAB to Drive Action on the U.S. Drug Shortage Crisis
Patient advocates, policymakers, manufacturers, distributors, government experts, and healthcare leaders gather in historic Kennedy Caucus Room to advance solutions for a resilient medicine supply chain
Washington, D.C. (Jan. 29, 2026) — Angels for Change, a national patient advocacy organization dedicated to ending drug shortages, convened its sold out 2026 SummitONE PolicyLAB today in the historic Kennedy Caucus Room on Capitol Hill, bringing together key policymakers, manufacturers, providers, purchasers, supply chain experts, and patient advocates to discuss action-oriented steps to take on the nation’s ongoing drug shortage crisis.
Angels for Change, founded by Laura Bray after her daughter experienced multiple drug shortages during pediatric cancer treatment, has become a leading voice translating patient experiences into real-world policy and system solutions.
In her opening remarks, Bray highlighted the importance of taking on the drug shortage crisis. “Every shortage represents a patient whose care is delayed and a clinician forced to make an impossible decision. Today is about sitting together in complexity and designing solutions that will work in the real world.”
Participants also heard from Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL), who pledged her ongoing support to advance policy solutions.
The PolicyLAB facilitated discussions between national experts aimed at translating ideas into action. These discussions, led by the Milken Institute and Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy, centered on aligning market economics, reimbursement levers, incentives, strategic investment, and implementation across the healthcare ecosystem.
Participants also viewed a powerful video developed with U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) Drug Shortage Task Force, Angels for Change is a founding member, highlighting the lived experiences of patients and frontline healthcare professionals impacted by shortages.
“This PolicyLAB was intentionally different,” Bray said. “We are not here to debate whether drug shortages are a problem. We all know they are. We are here to design real solutions across stakeholders with patients at the center. Solutions that will end this 25 years crisis for good!”
Following the PolicyLAB, Angels for Change plans to release the insights from the event its annual 2026 Policy Memo and be used to inform programming for the annual SummitONE conference.
“This is not a closing. It’s a beginning,” Bray said. “A line in the sand that says the future medicine supply chain must be resilient, reliable, and built around patients. After today, we are ready to build it together. This is the room that will end drug shortages!”
Bray also recognized its Washington, D.C. consulting partners at Stanton Park Group for their early belief in the organization’s mission and continued leadership in advancing patient-centered policy solutions.
About Angels for Change
Angels for Change is a nonprofit patient-advocacy organization dedicated to ending drug shortages through advocacy, awareness, and a resilient supply chain. Angels for Change partners across healthcare, supply chain, manufacturing, and government to ensure patients receive lifesaving medicines when they need them.
Angels for Change operates the nation’s only Drug Shortage Hotline and has supported hundreds of thousands of patients across more than 125 unique shortage crises. This frontline perspective informed the design of the Policy Lab, which was intentionally structured as a working session, not a conference or briefing, focused on collaboration, candor, and actionable outcomes.
Learn more: www.angelsforchange.org
