a16z Podcast Food, Drugs, and Tech—100 Years of Public Health
Jan 14, 2020
Vijay Pande, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, dives into the evolution of the FDA since its inception over 100 years ago. He discusses how the agency is adapting to radical innovations like CRISPR and AI in healthcare. Pande highlights the importance of balancing risk management with the need for swift access to effective treatments, especially in crises like the opioid epidemic. He also touches on the future of healthcare privacy and the transformative potential of gene-editing technologies, showcasing a landscape where regulation meets innovation.
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FDA's Relevance in Modern Times
- The FDA's core mission is to protect and promote public health, ensuring safe and effective medical products.
- It also fosters innovation and maintains consumer confidence in treatments.
Modernizing FDA Infrastructure
- The FDA receives most drug applications electronically but still uses PDFs, hindering efficient review.
- Modernizing the FDA's infrastructure to handle structured data is crucial for future efficiency and surveillance.
Balancing Risk and Innovation
- The FDA faces an asymmetry: unapproved beneficial drugs cause no outcry, but harmful approved drugs cause backlash.
- This necessitates risk-based decision-making and flexible mechanisms for innovation while mitigating risks.