News and Reports | April 2, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Patients For Affordable Drugs today announced the addition of new leaders to its board of directors, further strengthening the organization’s expertise and continued growth.
“Our new board members bring a depth of knowledge across medicine, law, public health, and business, along with patient experience — exactly the expertise this fight demands,” said Merith Basey, CEO of Patients For Affordable Drugs. “With 59% of Americans worried about the cost of their medications and a vast majority calling on Congress to do more to lower drug prices, we are laser-focused on delivering more wins for patients.”
P4AD’s C3 board continues to be guided by long-standing board leadership, including Board Chair Charles Hurley and Board Member Tomi Fadeyi-Jones, who have helped shape the organization since its inception. Building on that foundation, P4AD is now welcoming new expertise to further strengthen its work:
Dr. Utibe Essien, MD, MPH, is a board-certified internal medicine physician and assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He received his MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine before training in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where he also received a Master’s in Public Health. Utibe’s research focuses on developing innovative solutions to improve access to novel medications. In 2021, he coined the term “pharmacoequity,” providing a new framework to ensure that everyone has equal and affordable access to lifesaving therapies. He has received numerous national awards and grants in recognition of his commitment to high-quality care for all.
Jesse Fuchs-Simon is an entrepreneurial real estate developer and attorney with over a decade of experience delivering residential and mixed-use projects in Philadelphia. He is the principal of Skylight Real Estate & Development, where he oversees complex financial structures, capital planning, and project execution. Earlier in his career, he worked as a litigation attorney at a nationally recognized securities class action firm, representing institutional investors in complex matters. Three decades ago, Jesse co-founded AYUDA, an international nonprofit that grew into a multinational organization empowering youth to serve as agents of social change in diabetes communities. Through AYUDA, he built partnerships with governments, NGOs, and global institutions. He brings to the board a strong commitment to fiscal stewardship, transparency, and advancing practical, non-partisan solutions that improve access and affordability for patients.
The P4ADNOW C4 board will continue to be led by Board Chair Robert Jones, who has served on the board since its founding in 2017. In the past year, the organization has added leaders with deep experience in public health, advocacy, and access to medicines.
Dr. Gloria Tavera, who joined the board at the end of 2025, is a physician, scientist, and advocate, and is a Gastroenterology fellow at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She co-founded Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) and was recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 for her work expanding global access to medicines. She earned an MD/PhD studying bacterial gene networks in gastric cancer and a Master’s in Immunology from Case Western Reserve University, with additional research experience in malaria immunology at the National Institute of Health (NIH).
Jamila Headley, who joined the board last March, is a Caribbean immigrant from Barbados and a global health leader with more than 18 years of experience advancing health care and social justice campaigns across five continents. She holds a PhD in public health and a Master’s in global health from the University of Oxford. She is disabled and lives with the neurological disorder Transverse myelitis.
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Patients For Affordable Drugs is the only national patient advocacy organization focused exclusively on policies that lower prescription drug prices. We empower and mobilize patients by amplifying their experiences with high drug prices to hold those in power to account and fight to shape and achieve system-changing policies that make prescription drugs affordable for all people in the United States. P4AD does not accept funding from organizations that profit from the development and distribution of drugs. To learn more, visit PatientsForAffordableDrugs.org