The Beat

Live at HLTH: Uncovering Early Cancer Detection —Featuring Stephen Hahn

Episode Summary

A mission to protect, maintain, and improve people's health BEFORE they get sick. In this episode, Stephen Hahn, Chief Executive Officer at Harbinger Health, discusses the groundbreaking work being done at Harbinger, aiming at early disease detection and their commitment to making healthcare more accessible to all. Steve discusses the challenges and possibilities of early cancer detection using blood tests and the technological advancements being made to tackle these challenges. He explains how Harbinger's technology works and its potential impact on patients and physicians. Steve emphasizes the importance of addressing access issues in healthcare, particularly in relation to cancer screening and the economic benefits of early detection. Dr. Hahn's compelling vision for a healthier future and his call to action to build trust make this episode an essential listen for everyone passionate about healthcare innovation and accessibility.

Episode Notes

About Stephen Hahn:

Stephen M. Hahn, M.D., is CEO-Partner of Flagship Pioneering and Chief Executive Officer of Harbinger Health. Steve joined Flagship in June 2021 as Chief Medical Officer of its Preemptive Health and Medicine Initiative, which is creating a new field that aims to protect, maintain, or improve people’s health before they get sick. Steve will continue as a strategic advisor to the Initiative.

Steve brings two decades of distinguished leadership in healthcare strategy, oncology medical practice, and translational/clinical research to this role. He served as the 24th U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner from 2019 to 2021, overseeing both COVID and non-COVID regulatory affairs, including therapeutics and vaccine development, devices, diagnostics, and clinical trials.

Steve focused his translational research efforts on evaluating the tumor microenvironment, signal transduction pathways involved in tumor response to therapies, and proton therapy. He has authored more than 220 peer-reviewed original research articles and has experience developing medical products.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Harbinger's mission is to find diseases early, before symptoms arise, to improve treatment outcomes and save lives. 
• Their focus on developing accessible and affordable diagnostics will revolutionize healthcare.
• Dr. Hahn’s insights into Harbinger's innovative blood test, leveraging machine learning and AI to detect specific genetic signatures of cancer in the bloodstream. 
• This technology has the potential to revolutionize cancer screening and diagnosis.
• The importance of building trust in healthcare. Access to affordable and reliable testing is vital, and Harbinger is committed to making its technologies accessible to all, regardless of location or socioeconomic status.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Stephen Hahn on LinkedIn.
• Follow Harbinger Health on LinkedIn and visit their website.