FasterCures wants to ensure that the lessons of the COVID-19 crisis are not lost once the current urgency subsides — not only for combating future infectious diseases, but for conducting every other aspect of biomedical innovation, including R&D.

This report identifies practices that have emerged from the crisis that should be preserved and enhanced. Its focus centers on five areas: (1) research collaboration; (2) acceleration of product development; (3) clinical trial design and execution; (4) collection and use of real-world data and evidence; and (5) racial and ethnic disparities in health care and research.

FasterCures recognizes the crushing loss of lives and livelihoods due to COVID-19, and we acknowledge that much of the response in the United States and around the world has been ineffective. We, as a society, have not learned from past outbreaks.

Nonetheless, many positive and innovative actions were taken by those in the biomedical innovation community, and it's critical that we identify, acknowledge, and build on this progress, now and into the future.

More work has been done since this white paper was published with input from an advisory group. Read the COVID-19 Silver Linings for Biomedical Innovation: Implementation Roadmap report to learn more.