Margaret Hamburg, MD, is no stranger to politics. As the former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for six years during President Obama’s administration, Hamburg took on the Big Tobacco industry, fought a cancer drug shortage crisis, implemented the Breakthrough Therapy drug pathway and much more.
In the 10 years since she left the agency, Hamburg has turned her attention to the world stage as the Co-President of the InterAcademy Partnership, a consortium of some 150 academies of science, medicine and engineering around the world dedicated to strengthening the role of academies in providing international science and health policy advice and recommendations.
Though she now takes a macro view of the world, Hamburg, took the time to share her thoughts with Cure in an exclusive interview. Hamburg, who took the stage at the Cure Power of X Summit on March 24, spoke about recent government layoffs, public attitudes towards science and more.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Cure: What are some of the big healthcare challenges right now the United States is facing as a nation?
Hamburg: I'm deeply concerned by some of what has happened in recent weeks in terms of the cuts to science and research funding, particularly from my perspective in the biomedical research domain. I fear that we are really undermining and dismantling critical and exciting areas of research that will provide us the treatments, cures and prevention strategies that we need.
I also worry that we are creating an environment of uncertainty that is causing some of our best scientists to leave their posts in government or in academic research institutions. Some will be attracted to universities in other countries, some will choose to go into industry, and some will either retire or choose other pathways.
And it's not just our best scientists and some of our greatest expertise, but it's also young scientists and physician scientists as well, who are looking at the landscape before them and wondering, ‘is this really a career path that I can count on, or is there just too much uncertainty in terms of funding and support for science and research now?’ So I am worried.
Cure: If you were still in your position as FDA commissioner, would you be taking different actions?
Hamburg: Well, I agree with the fundamental concern that there is bloat in government. We do need to think about how to reduce bureaucracy, how to streamline regulation, and how to ensure that we have an appropriate workforce and organizational framework.
Thoughtful reform of entities like FDA, NIH and CDC makes sense, and it's hard. Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions, and many people will be unhappy, but I think it can and should be done.
What concerns me now, however, is that it's not been the kind of thoughtful process that I think leads to the best outcomes. Instead, it's been a little bit of a chaotic process where sometimes the people that have been laid off have been the ones that have been easiest to lay off, rather than really looking at the work they did and how essential it was.
I think we aren't clear on what the end game is, and I think that is a dangerous thing. Changes need to be made, but we also need to have a better sense of where we want to end up.
If you look at the life sciences and biomedical research industry, the US has been preeminent in the world since World War II. We have been the envy of countries around the world, and it has been a huge driver of our economy as well. I think we're at risk of undermining that and taking something that has made America great, and actually ceding leadership to other countries.
Cure: What are other health trends you’re watching closely right now?
Hamburg: Policy makers and the public have been losing trust in science, and there has been a marginalization of the value of scientific expertise.
This lack of trust and confidence in science is very damaging and disappointing, and we need to work very, very hard as a scientific and medical community to demonstrate the value of science and engage the public in our work.
We need to be more transparent, and we also need to learn how to communicate science in ways that aren't so patronizing, but are more participatory.
Cure: What is one big takeaway you want to leave people with?
Hamburg: We live in a complex, ever-changing world, but it's also an exciting, important time in terms of what we can bring to bear if we continue to advance and harness research to address critical problems for people here in the US and around the world.
Unfortunately, we are finding some of this work in the crosshairs of political divides and ideology. We just have to keep our heads down and our eyes wide open to continue and advance this important work.