The a16z Show Uncontrolled Spread: Science, Policy, Institutions, Infrastructure
Sep 20, 2021
Scott Gottlieb, former head of the FDA and author of 'Uncontrolled Spread,' dives into the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. He discusses the critical role technology, particularly mRNA vaccine development, played in pandemic response and highlights failures in regulatory translation of science to policy. Joining him are Marc Andreessen, a prominent venture capitalist, and Vineeta Agarwala, a bio expert. They explore the need for improved genomic surveillance, private sector involvement in health infrastructure, and the ethical dilemmas of challenge trials for future preparedness.
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Genomic Surveillance
- Genomic surveillance, crucial for pandemic preparedness, combines genomic data with traditional epidemiology.
- It enables early detection of contagious variants and tracking of viral spread to inform targeted interventions.
Federated Genomic Surveillance
- Centralize genomic surveillance data aggregation but maintain a federated model for sample collection and sequencing.
- Resource and recognize work from various labs, enabling efficient data pooling and cross-analysis.
Government Execution Challenges
- The US government struggled to implement recommended pandemic responses like test-trace-isolate and travel restrictions.
- This failure was due to operational challenges, political divisions, and an overreliance on the CDC's capacity.
