Former US Secretary of Health and Human Services Lends His Expertise to Advance FasterCures’ Mission to Deliver Treatments Faster to Patients

The Milken Institute’s FasterCures works to build an effective, efficient system driven by a clear vision: patient needs above all else. We are honored to welcome Alex Azar, the 24th US secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), to the FasterCures Advisory Board.

Azar served as the US secretary of HHS from 2018 to 2021. Among his many accomplishments, he led the US government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and was the architect of Operation Warp Speed, the federal initiative that led to the development, production, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in record time. He also oversaw numerous efforts to strengthen the US health system, including advancing value-based payment and collaborative care models. Prior to his public service, Azar was president of the US division of Eli Lilly and Company, a global pharmaceutical leader.

“At FasterCures, we believe that lifesaving science should translate into real-world solutions,” said Esther Krofah, executive vice president, Milken Institute Health. “Secretary Azar brings valuable experience to help us advance initiatives that can deliver better treatments to patients faster. We look forward to working with him and the esteemed leaders that comprise the FasterCures Advisory Board to strengthen the biomedical research system so that it can continue to serve as a vital engine for innovation and address the needs of patients.”

“I’m honored to join the Advisory Board of FasterCures, an organization that shares my commitment to advancing health and biomedical innovation,” said Azar. “At a time when transformative ideas are urgently needed, FasterCures is uniquely positioned to drive meaningful change.”

He was previously deputy secretary of HHS, serving as its chief operating officer. He now serves on several boards and advisory groups, including the Aspen Institute and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Health and Medicine Division Committee. He also teaches as an adjunct professor and senior executive-in-residence at the University of Miami Herbert Business School.

Azar holds a BA in government and economics from Dartmouth College, summa cum laude, and a JD from Yale Law School. He served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia.