As an example, Hamburg pointed to the current "golden age" of biomedical discovery in which the industry has sequenced the human genome to reveal potential drug targets and made gains in high throughput screening and nanotechnology, and yet has not necessarily translated these developments into therapies or cures. Hamburg proposed in her speech that a potential solution to this innovation gap requires a "comprehensive, integrated strategy that engages the full 'eco-system.'
Such a strategy would include "new and strategic investments in research," and "true collaboration by stakeholders," including "strong leadership from business, academia, and government," she said.