Milken Institute1h 6m
Engineering the Next Era of Human Health | Future of Health Summit 2026
Meg Tirrell, Noubar Afeyan, Chris Boerner, David Rhew, Robert Stone
Conference Presentation, Panel, Fireside Chat
- Personalized cancer vaccines are expected to become available soon, while AI-driven companion scientists are predicted to accelerate the development of model-based biological understanding and potentially expand the market for medicines, prevention, and diagnostics over the next few years.
- Employers project a median 9.2% increase in healthcare costs for 2027, whereas cell therapy is anticipated to enter solid tumor treatments and potentially transform autoimmune disease management, including cures for lupus and multiple sclerosis, if data trends hold.
- A commitment exists to reduce the timeline from Investigational New Drug (IND) application to approval by 30% using technology, with predictions that AI will be essential for determining target success rates prior to clinical entry and will transform the entire value chain.
- The industry faces a projected shift toward a reactive care model leading to advanced-stage cancers and chronic diseases, prompting efforts with health plans and state Medicaid departments to measure clinical and financial outcomes while utilizing AI to manage patient queues and deterioration.
- Access to care is expected to evolve over the next five years, with the Access Hope partnership currently managing 10 million people across 800 employer clients, while significant gaps remain, such as 50% of U.S. counties lacking a practicing psychiatrist.
- Strategic collaborations include partnerships with Microsoft for mobile lung cancer screening, Viz Ai for diagnosing cardiomyopathies before symptoms, and retail pharmacies for earlier cardiovascular disease detection, alongside initiatives to bridge academic divides and mobilize a billion dollars in net new capital.
- Economic efficiency targets aim to reduce medicine delivery costs through automation, with projections that universal screening participation could add $1.7 trillion to the economy, though structural impediments to pay-per-performance contracts currently require correction.
- Financial concerns include the current inefficiency where 50 cents of every branded medicine dollar goes to non-risk-takers, the near-zero cost of oral oncologic drugs for commercially insured patients, and legal prohibitions preventing identical strategies for patients turning 65.
- AI integration is expected to improve electronic medical record capabilities for cancer prediction and bridge the gap from screening to diagnosis, though it is emphasized that AI will not replace doctors but rather those who utilize AI will replace those who do not.
- Risks include potential growing distrust of AI science if claims are not fulfilled, the possibility that decades of regulation could be reformed due to a lack of self-regulation in product liability, and the risk that trillions of dollars in investment could be undone without explicit responsibility frameworks.
- Long-term predictions suggest the journey to cure diseases may take years or decades, though there is hope this timeline will shrink from the current 15-10-15 year cycle to a few months, contingent on the industry ensuring technology is utilized effectively to avoid "phoning it in."
- Operational challenges involve the current fee-for-service model driving unhealthy economic and patient behaviors, the need to ensure AI tools do not universally fail for all patient populations, and the financial reliance on philanthropy to sustain City of Hope's ability to afford new tools and fulfill its mission.