Accelerating Medical Research: The Bipartisan Quest for Cures

Event Context & Logistics

• Faster Cures, a Milken Institute center, hosted the 18th Global Conference with over 160 sessions and a diverse global attendance.
• Panelist Dr. Elias Zerhouni (former Sanofi executive) was absent due to a family emergency; replaced by Bob Hugin (Celgene CEO).
• Moderator Margaret Anderson noted the "crowded" schedule and urged attendees to prioritize punctuality due to room turnover for lunch.

Economic & Strategic Imperatives

• Bob Hugin argued that biomedical research must be framed within a broader national economic agenda rather than as an isolated issue.
• The U.S. maintains a unique competitive advantage in global biomedical innovation, unlike Europe, which Hugin attributed to higher R&D investment.
• Hugin projected that delaying Alzheimer's onset by just one year could save the U.S. health system $200 billion annually.
• Mike Milken stated that 50% of U.S. economic growth over the last 200 years traces back to medical research and public health advances.
• Milken highlighted that sub-Saharan Africa is the fastest-growing economy, driven significantly by reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission (dropped from 95% to 2%).
• Francis Collins cited a 1% annual reduction in cancer death rates over 15 years, generating an estimated $500 billion in economic benefits.

Funding Crises & Global Competition

• NIH funding has faced a 23% decline in purchasing power over the last 12 years due to budget gridlock and sequestration.
• The average age for a researcher to receive their first NIH grant has risen from 36 to 42, signaling a "holding pattern" that risks driving young talent away.
• China filed more life sciences patents than the U.S. last year and has committed $300 billion ($50 billion/year) to bioscience over the next six years.
• Milken noted China is recruiting U.S.-educated scientists back home with offers of up to $50 million for laboratory funding.
• The UK recently overtook the U.S. in leading global bioscience university centers (5 in UK vs. 8 in U.S., though U.S. total remains high).
• Francis Collins warned that without increased funding, the U.S. risks dismantling the world's greatest engine for biomedical discovery.

Legislative & Policy Actions

• The bipartisan "21st Century Cures" initiative is moving forward with a discussion draft expected to be finalized soon, led by Rep. Fred Upton and Rep. Diana DeGette.
• Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) criticized the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) for using static scoring that fails to account for long-term economic gains from prevention and wellness investments.
• Barton proposed "dynamic scoring" for health initiatives to reflect the economic value of extended life and productivity (citing the case of Ward Tripp Cassell, a doctor whose extended life allowed him to lead military medical efforts and found biotech companies).
• A new school of public health at George Washington University (Milken Institute School of Public Health) will assign two graduate students to every member of Congress and the Senate starting in September to assist with advocacy.
• Rep. Barton confirmed the presence of bipartisan support in Congress, including Reps. Frank Pallone, Lois Capps, Michael Burgess, and Tim Murphy.

Scientific Breakthroughs & Methodologies

• Precision Medicine: The cost of genome sequencing has dropped from $100 million to a few thousand dollars, enabling new initiatives to sequence a cohort of one million Americans.
• Accelerating Medicines Partnership: An unprecedented NIH-private sector collaboration (50/50 cost-sharing) involving 10 companies to tackle Alzheimer's, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus, with open data sharing.
• Drug Repurposing: Examples include AstraZeneca's cancer drug showing promise for Alzheimer's and thalidomide (originally contraindicated for pregnancy) becoming a vital treatment for certain cancers.
• Vaccine Development: Progress is being made toward a universal influenza vaccine to prevent annual shots and potential pandemics.
• CRISPR-Cas: Discovery from basic research on bacterial viruses has revolutionized genome editing, with potential cures for sickle cell anemia.
• Ebola: Previous investments in basic viral research enabled rapid development of vaccines for the West African outbreak.

Call to Action & Future Commitments

• Francis Collins (NIH): Will prioritize the Precision Medicine Initiative, focusing on building a million-person cohort for real-world research and electronic health record integration.
• Bob Hugin (Celgene): Committed to strategic advocacy alliances to ensure patient groups do not work at cross-purposes and to maximize company impact.
• Sara Radcliffe (California Life Sciences): Will focus on clarifying the economic return on investment (salaries, exports) to influence political decision-making.
• Mike Milken: Urges donors and patients to redirect funding specifically toward young scientists (ages 30-40) and to engage personally with advocacy efforts beyond check-writing.
• Rep. Barton: Encourages audience members to contact their representatives to support the 21st Century Cures bill, emphasizing that Congress listens best to constituents they know personally.
• General Consensus: Panelists agreed that the "21st Century Cures" bill is a critical first step to remove regulatory friction, but long-term success requires sustained funding and a diverse research portfolio.