GOVERNMENTAL & LEGAL AFFAIRS

Tien T. Bui is founder and principal of BioZen Consulting (San Francisco), a firm that assists small life sciences companies in bringing innovative products and technologies to market. Bui has 18 years of work experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, where she has been extensively involved in all aspects of drug and technology commercialization.

Mitchell DeKoven is director of reimbursement and market access at IMS Consulting (Falls Church, VA). DeKoven was an associate director of reimbursement and market access at ValueMedics Research LLC, which IMS acquired in March 2007. Prior to joining ValueMedics, he was manager of reimbursement services at the United BioSource Corp. center for pricing and reimbursement.

Ted R. Mannen is a member of the national law firm of Epstein Becker & Green PC (Washington, DC). As a managing director of the firm's consulting affiliate, EBG Advisors Inc., he specializes in reimbursement planning and positioning for the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. Mannen is also managing director of ContentHealth LLC, for which he edits the health policy Web site, www.healthhombre.com.

Ronald Podraza is cofounder of Reimbursement Principles Inc. (Littleton, CO), a reimbursement consulting firm that serves medical technology innovators. In his early career he was general counsel for a cardiac pacemaker company and start-up CEO of new product ventures. In 1993 he returned to law school for an advanced degree in healthcare finance (reimbursement). He then led reimbursement development for two medical devices as CEO of a venture capital-backed start-up.

Randel E. Richner is founder and president of reimbursement consulting firm Neocure Group LLC (Newton, MA). Prior to launching Neocure, she served as vice president for global government affairs with Boston Scientific Corp. (Natick, MA). Richner has been a leader in policy initiatives in Washington, DC, with the U.S. Congress and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Jo Ellen F. Slurzberg is vice president for reimbursement and health policy at Almyra Inc. (Boxborough, MA), a private international medical device holding company. Prior to joining Almyra, Slurzberg was part of the executive consulting team at Boston Healthcare Associates (Boston).

Kuo Bianchini Tong is founder and president of Quorum Consulting Inc. (San Francisco), a company that consults with clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device manufacturing industries. Tong works with his clients to help them understand how economic, financial, and reimbursement forces can be managed, and how to influence product acceptance and utilization.

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