Flagship Pioneering announced that former FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn will lead its Preemptive Medicine & Health Security initiative.
A “bioinnovation platform company,” Flagship Pioneering has originated and fostered more than 100 scientific ventures totaling more than $90 billion in aggregate value, according to the company.
It has, to date, deployed more than $2.4 billion in capital toward founding and growing companies, as well as more than $19 billion of follow-on investments from other institutions. Among the 41 companies comprising Flagship’s ecosystem is Moderna, the maker of the second vaccine to receive FDA emergency use authorization under Hahn’s tenure with the agency.
Hahn, who served as FDA commissioner from 2019 to 2021, having previously held the role of chief medical executive at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, will assume the position of chief medical officer and join Flagship’s senior leadership team effective June 16, 2021.
“The COVID-19 pandemic brought into stark focus how important it is to bring increased attention and investment to our health security globally, and to preemptive medicine more broadly,” Flagship Pioneering founder & CEO Noubar Afeyan said in a news release. “We are delighted that Flagship will benefit from Steve’s clinical and administrative leadership in helping us dimension and pursue our growing number of explorations and companies in this emerging field.”
Other companies within Flagship’s ecosystem include Denali Therapeutics, Rubius Therapeutics, Sana Biotechnology, Seres Therapeutics and Valo Health.
“The importance of investing in innovation and preemptive medicine has never been more heightened,” Hahn said. “In my career, I have been a doctor and a researcher foremost and it is an honor to join Flagship Pioneering in its efforts to prioritize innovation, particularly in its Preemptive Medicine and Health Security Initiative. The more we can embrace a “what if …” approach the better we can support and protect the health and well-being of people here in the US and around the world.”