Greg Simon: Remarks at the 2022 Forbes China Healthcare Summit

Asia Society, August 20, 2022

Greg Simon, the former President of the Biden Cancer Initiative, shared his remarks at the 2022 Forbes China Healthcare Summit. Simon highlighted his personal journey with cancer, emphasizing the challenges patients face within the healthcare system. He expressed his experience of being diagnosed with leukemia and the unexpected opportunity to lead the Cancer Moonshot initiative under Vice President Biden. Simon discussed the importance of making cancer research a priority, emphasizing the need to change the culture of research, clinical trials, data sharing, and international collaboration.

During his speech, Simon elaborated on the achievements of the previous Cancer Moonshot initiative, such as promoting collaboration between agencies like the DOE, VA, and NASA, and fostering international partnerships in research. He mentioned the transition to the new Moonshot phase led by his former deputy Danielle Carnival. Simon highlighted recent developments, including the requirement for federally funded cancer research to be published in open journals, aiming to enhance accessibility and transparency in research findings.

Simon emphasized the crucial aspect of social justice in healthcare distribution, advocating for equitable access to innovative therapies for all individuals irrespective of their socioeconomic status. He called for a shift towards a global perspective on clinical trials, stressing the need for regulatory harmonization, trust in data, and the utilization of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning to streamline the research and development process. Simon concluded by urging a collective effort to transform the Cancer Moonshot into a Human Moonshot, focusing on spreading hope and love globally in the realm of healthcare and research.

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