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Panel Detail:

Monday, April 27, 2009
8:00 AM - 9:15 AM

The Future of Health

Moderator:

Greg Simon, President, FasterCures / The Center for Accelerating Medical Solutions

Congressman Henry Waxman, second from right, says government should take a bigger role in promoting disease prevention, creating and sustaining public health infrastructure, addressing access inequity and funding basic research. With him are, from left, Susan Hockfield of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; John Lechleiter of Eli Lilly and Company and Elias Zerhouni of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Elias Zerhouni of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation identified two current barriers: the current focus on acute care and the unanticipated complexity of biology. There is a disconnect between advancements such as completion of the human genome project and translation to care. He believes that a societal shift to a concept of "embedded health" will be required to truly change the face of health. A commitment to change and healthy living is needed at the societal, economic and political levels.

Rep. Henry Waxman spoke to the role of government in this metamorphosis, specifically in promoting prevention, creating and sustaining public health infrastructure, addressing access inequity and funding basic research. He believes that government needs to create greater access to healthcare but also needs to look at health beyond just treatment of symptoms (for example, promoting behavior or environmental changes that can positively affect health). Waxman stated that the government needs to take a harder look at public health policy and make provisions for the unanticipated. He also spoke to the need for a sustained and increasing commitment to funding basic research rather than fluctuating with shifts in power.

Susan Hockfield of MIT and John Lechleiter from Eli Lilly also called for sustained funding as well as investment in human capital. Hochfield believes the future of health, prevention and treatment lies in innovations stemming from the collaboration between life and physical scientists as well as engineers. These partnerships can give rise to new technology and delivery systems but require basic research funding and crossing of disciplinary divides. Additionally, investment in both K-12 and higher education is required to nurture the talent leading this innovation.

Lechleiter had a similar stance and referred to this nurturing as part of an "ecosystem for innovation," which also requires investment and regulation. To create and sustain this ecosystem, government, public institutions and private sector need to work together more efficiently.

According to panelists, our future will bring personalized medicine with an emphasis on prevention and targeted, cost-effective and high-tech treatments. Achieving this future will require not only investment in human capital and basic research but also a culture shift among researchers, politicians, philanthropists and the general public.

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