Dan Diamond
Showing 1–9 of 9 transcripts.
- Milken Institute53 min
Predicting Pandemics: Mobilizing an Active Global Surveillance System
Dan Diamond, Francis deSouza, Margaret Hamburg, John Nkengasong
Despite unprecedented advances in viral sequencing speed during the COVID-19 pandemic, experts identified critical systemic gaps in global pathogen surveillance that relied on serendipitous discovery rather than proactive networks. Highlighting stark disparities between nations like South Korea and underserved regions in Africa, leaders such as Francis D'Souza and Dr. Hamburg outlined a $100 million Genomics Initiative and advocated for a sustainable public-private partnership to fund a "One Health" approach. This collaborative strategy aims to integrate human, animal, and environmental monitoring through modern genomic technologies, ensuring real-time detection of emerging threats while addressing the political and structural barriers that hindered previous pandemic responses.
- Milken Institute54 min
Gun Violence as a Public Health Crisis
Edward Greissing, Dan Diamond, Megan L. Ranney, Babak Sarani, Leana Wen, Mallory Williams, Chris Corey, Josh Wright, Hazelwood
A diverse panel of medical experts and advocates asserts that while gun violence is increasingly recognized as a public health epidemic, federal research funding remains critically stagnant due to the 1996 Dickey Amendment, leaving survivors of mass shootings without verified data tracking. Consequently, the group advocates for shifting focus from sweeping federal bans on assault rifles to localized, holistic interventions such as Baltimore's "Safe Streets" violence interruption model and evidence-based policies targeting high-capacity magazines and domestic violence. Looking forward, the panel predicts that systemic change will likely emerge from private sector risk incentives and upstream socioeconomic investments rather than immediate national legislative breakthroughs.
- Milken Institute42 min
Walking the Drug-Pricing Tightrope: Fostering Innovation While Maintaining Affordability
Dan Diamond, Matthew Eyles, Dan Leonard, Mark McClellan, Seema Verma, Greg Walden, Matt Iles
Moderated by Dan Diamond, a panel comprising Seema Verma, Matt Iles, Dan Leonard, and Mark McClellan examined the unsustainability of U.S. drug spending and the urgent need for bipartisan legislation to address the "gross-to-net" price bubble and the rising cost of ultra-high therapies. While the group agreed that current payment models create perverse incentives for manufacturers of legacy drugs and antimicrobials, they diverged on solutions, with CMS advocating for private sector competition and industry representatives emphasizing the risks of government price-setting on research and development. The discussion concluded that structural reforms, including value-based arrangements and targeted regulatory changes to Medicaid Best Price rules, are essential to align reimbursement with modern cure cycles before the projected 2026 spending crisis forces administrative intervention.
- Milken Institute47 min
Wednesday Lunch: Walking the Drug-Pricing Tightrope
Dan Diamond, Dan Leonard, Seema Verma, Matt Iles, Mark McClellan
Moderated by Dan Diamond, the Milken Institute's Future of Health Summit panel "Walking the Drug Pricing Tightrope" featured Seema Verma, Matt Iles, and Mark McClellan debating the tension between innovation and affordability amidst record-breaking drug costs. While the group reached consensus on shifting to value-based payment models to address unsustainable spending in Part B and high-cost curative therapies, they diverged on whether government negotiation or private sector competition offers the most effective solution for lowering prices without stifling future research. With Nancy Pelosi absent, the panelists emphasized that any viable legislative path must satisfy strict bipartisanship requirements to avoid jeopardizing patient access or long-term drug development pipelines.
- Milken Institute25 min
Wednesday Lunch feat. Bill Cassidy
Bill Cassidy, Esther Krofa, Dan Diamond
At the Milken Institute's Future of Health Summit, Senator Bill Cassidy and Faster Cures' Esther Krofa discussed strategies to balance drug affordability with the financial incentives required for medical innovation. Cassidy defended the pharmaceutical industry against claims of excessive profitability while advocating for subscription-based pricing models and rejecting direct government negotiation as a threat to high-risk research. The dialogue highlighted specific legislative successes in closing rebate loopholes and ending gag clauses, concluding with a realistic assessment that a comprehensive drug pricing bill has a 60% probability of enactment by year-end.
- Milken Institute58 min
Gun Violence as a Public Health Crisis
Ed, Dan Diamond, Dr. Megan Ranney, Dr. Babak Sarani, Lina Wen, Dr. Mallory Williams, Maya, Chris Corey, Kenyatta Hazelwood, Josh, Bob
A panel of medical professionals and public health experts advocates for a public health approach to gun violence, emphasizing that current political narratives often overlook evidence-based solutions like high-capacity magazine restrictions in favor of ineffective symbolic measures. The discussion highlights a severe research drought caused by federal inaction since 1996, while profiling successful local interventions such as Baltimore's Safe Streets program and urging the integration of trauma centers into long-term community conflict resolution. Despite broad optimism for shifting discourse, the panelists warn that sustained progress remains contingent on overcoming funding gaps and addressing the social determinants of health that disproportionately impact minority communities.
- Milken Institute58 min
Opioid Crisis: Examining National, State, and Local Responses and Impact
Dan Diamond, Shereef Elnahal, Thomas Graf, Elinore McCance-Katz, Nora Volkow
At the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit, federal and state leaders including Dr. Nora Volkow, Dr. Eleanor McCance-Katz, and Dr. Sharif El-Nahal convened with insurer representatives to address the heterogeneous nature of the opioid crisis through a multi-trajectory approach. The panelists detailed concrete strategies such as New Jersey's integration of medication-assisted treatment in correctional facilities, Horizon Blue Cross's shift away from non-evidence-based urine testing, and SAMHSA's efforts to mainstream addiction training in medical schools. Consensus emerged that sustainable outcomes require granular real-time data infrastructure and collaborative partnerships that empower local communities with the flexibility to tailor interventions to specific demographic and geographic needs.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Boundless Potential: How Unlocking Big Data Can Change Health
Dan Diamond, Murray Aitken, Aneesh Chopra, Martin J. Murphy, Robin Thurston
Industry leaders from Quintiles IMS, Helix, and the Obama administration convened to evaluate big data's transition from hype to a tangible reality that is currently constrained by fragmented data, misaligned financial incentives, and a cultural gap in healthcare adoption. The panel highlighted Project Data Sphere, which has grown into the world's largest open-access cancer trial database to enable synthetic control arms that could halve trial timelines and improve survival rates for small cell lung cancer. Looking forward, experts discussed how lowering sequencing costs, blockchain privacy tools, and shifting toward value-based payment models aim to overcome current silos and empower consumers to drive precision public health initiatives.
- Milken Institute50 min
Inner-City and Rural Health Care: Bridging the Gap in Access to Services
Dan Diamond, Jehan El-Bayoumi, Jewel Mullen, Raul Pino, Laquandra Nesbitt
A multi-disciplinary panel of health officials and academic leaders graded current efforts to address health disparities as mixed, noting that while national perception has shifted to view these gaps as systemic societal failures, tangible progress remains slow due to a continued reliance on individual behavior change rather than structural interventions. The discussion identified economic inequality, provider homogeneity, and profit-driven resource consolidation as primary drivers of the disparity gap, particularly in Washington D.C. where high medical density fails to bridge the massive income divide between wards. To rectify these issues, experts proposed establishing dedicated health equity offices, adopting community-led prioritization frameworks to prevent research extraction, and redirecting public resources like the Housing Trust Fund to avoid spatially concentrating poverty.