Dr. Robert Califf on What It Will Take for GLP-1s to Become a Public Health Success

<p>We&#39;re honored to welcome Dr. Robert Califf, two-time Commissioner of Food and Drugs and founding director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute, to The Life Science Rundown.</p><p>Dr. Califf joins Nick Capman to talk about how GLP-1 therapies could become a true public health success, and what it will take to get there: affordability, equitable access, trustworthy information, and responsible regulation. He brings the perspective of a cardiologist, clinical trialist, and two-time FDA leader, and he closes on a note of genuine optimism about what this class of drugs may teach us.</p><p>Some of what he covers:</p><ul><li>The difference between the goal of individual medical care and the goal of public health</li><li>Why obesity was long treated as a moral failing, and why earlier drugs fell short</li><li>What GLP-1 research may reveal about cravings and behavior more broadly</li><li>Why early access followed resources rather than need</li><li>How compounding was permitted during the shortage, and why it no longer is for approved drugs</li><li>His concern about untested peptides sold online</li><li>Why trust follows trustworthy behavior</li><li>What success could look like over the next decade</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Our sincere thanks to Dr. Califf for his time and insight.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>About Dr. Robert Califf</strong><br>Robert M. Califf, MD, MACC, served as Commissioner of Food and Drugs from 2016 to 2017 and again from 2022 to 2025, and previously as FDA&#39;s Deputy Commissioner for Medical Products and Tobacco. Between his terms, he was head of medical strategy and senior advisor at Alphabet for Verily and Google Health. A cardiologist, he spent decades at Duke University, where he was founding director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute, and he is one of the most frequently cited authors in biomedical science.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>About The FDA Group</strong><br>The FDA Group helps life science organizations rapidly access the industry&#39;s best consultants, contractors, and candidates. Our resources assist in every stage of the product lifecycle, from clinical development to commercialization, with a focus on staff augmentation, auditing, remediation, QMS, and other specialized project work in Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs, and Clinical Operations. Learn more: <a href="https://www.thefdagroup.com/">https://www.thefdagroup.com/</a></p>