Nicholas Bloom on Management, Productivity, & Scientific Progress | Conversations with Tyler

[@sebastianaguiarbrunemeier9192]

Regarding cancer research and gene therapy as 'bright spots' -- the patient population that benefits from the exuberantly hailed new cancer therapies (checkpoint blockers like Keytruda/Opdivo, CAR-T from Novartis and Gilead) only benefit a very small subset of the cancer patient population and both come with serious autoimmune side effects. Over the last 40 years, the average lifespan gain in cancer patients, across all tumor types, has been about 5%. Trivial given the amount of money and brain power invested. A similar but less depressing story with gene therapy -- these are quite efficacious, but only apply to a minuscule patient population suffering from this rare, genetic, Mendelian disease. The great strides in public health will be made when gene and cell therapy can be applied to non-Mendelian diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancer, and dementia. We are still far from this goal.

[@nickbloom8973]

Why does this dude have the same name as me