Robert Califf

Former FDA Commissioner; Vice Chancellor for Health Data Science, Duke University

2025 MDA Clinical & Scientific Conference - Dr. Robert Califf, former FDA Commissioner

📅 Mar 17, 2025 MDA 32 MIN 565 VIEWS 51 SEGMENTS · 2 SPEAKERS

2025 MDA Clinical & Scientific Conference - Dr. Robert Califf, former FDA Commissioner Keynote Speech.

Host 0:00 ↗

Okay. So now we want to welcome to the stage our keynote speaker today, who's Dr. Robert Califf. Dr. Califf is a prominent cardiologist and clinical trial expert who has served as FDA commissioner not once but twice. And he is now going to give us some thoughts about neuromuscular disease research and the regulatory environment, and we're really looking forward to it. Thank you.

1 more exchange in this transcript

Cite this transcript

APA, MLA, BibTeX

APA

Califf, R. (2025, March 17). 2025 MDA Clinical & Scientific Conference - Dr. Robert Califf, former FDA Commissioner [Interview transcript]. MDA. CEOInterviews.AI. https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/3075305/

MLA

Robert Califf. "2025 MDA Clinical & Scientific Conference - Dr. Robert Califf, former FDA Commissioner." MDA, 17 Mar. 2025. Transcript, CEOInterviews.AI, https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/3075305/.

BibTeX

@misc{califf2025_3075305,
  author       = {Robert Califf},
  title        = {2025 MDA Clinical \& Scientific Conference - Dr. Robert Califf, former FDA Commissioner},
  howpublished = {Interview transcript, MDA. CEOInterviews.AI},
  year         = {2025},
  month        = {mar},
  url          = {https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/3075305/},
  note         = {Speaker-attributed transcript with timestamps}
}

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Key Quotes (2)

“Our health care system has become completely financialized. And since I've been back out as a civilian for almost two months now, I've been spending a lot of time talking with friends. I was a busy clinical practitioner for most of my career. Um, everyone is being told now in our health care system that your job is to find patients on whom we can make money because there's a huge financial need in”

▶ 3:29 CONTROVERSIAL POLICY

“I would expect a lot of the safety net things that you have depended on are going to fall apart in the near future because they're simply not going to be funded. Much like my employees at FDA that I worked with until two months ago who got an email at 4:00 in the afternoon saying you're fired. Yeah, you have to clean out your office in an hour. You get paid for a month and then you have no benefit”

▶ 6:46 CONTROVERSIAL POLICY

More interviews with Robert Califf

Dr. Robert Califf on What It Will Take for GLP-1s to Become a Public Health SuccessOct 05, 2026 · The FDA Group · 33 min
The Foundation & the Future: 30 Years with Califf & HernandezSep 09, 2026 · Duke Clinical Research Institute · 36 min
Two-Time U.S. FDA Commissioner & Google's Head of Medical Strategy Dr. Robert M. CaliffAug 25, 2026 · Cutting to the Case · 34 min
Former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf on RFK Jr., the FDA Exodus, and ChinaJul 22, 2026 · Open Door Salon · 53 min
Dr Robert Califf - Episode 9 - Regulatory VoicesJul 14, 2026 · Regulatory Voices · 47 min
Dr. Robert Califf on the Future of HealthcareMay 06, 2026 · Get Real with Jim Weiss · 36 min

All Robert Califf transcripts →

About Robert Califf

Robert Califf, former FDA commissioner and current Duke University vice chancellor for health data science, appeared on three podcasts between August and October 2026. On The Life Science Rundown in October, he discussed GLP-1 therapies, stating that their potential as a public health success depends on affordability, equitable access, trustworthy information, and responsible regulation. He described the current pharmaceutical pricing system as rewarding companies that charge high prices for drugs used by a narrow population, and he characterized the development of costly drugs to reverse diet-related obesity as "insane," while also expressing optimism about the class's potential. On the Duke Clinical Research Institute's podcast in September, Califf reflected on the institute's 30-year history and said that the biggest issue in U.S. clinical research is "fear of China," which he described as more organized in biotechnology and clinical trial networks compared to a "ragtag disaggregated" U.S. effort. In an August interview on Cutting to the Case, Califf discussed the future of medicine, emphasizing the growing role of artificial intelligence in aggregating clinical data and supporting real-time learning, while noting that doctors should be armed with high-quality evidence. He also commented on FDA policy, saying he agrees the agency should not make pharmaceutical cost decisions but that government bodies like CMS should evaluate costs and willingness to pay. Califf repeated his view that the field should rely more on randomized controlled trials rather than less, while also leveraging electronic health records, wearables, and other digital data sources.

All Robert Califf appearances → MDA on YouTube →