Jim O’Neill, appointed deputy secretary of HHS, brings experience from the Thiel Foundation and SENS Research Foundation. He supports streamlined FDA approval pathways, deregulation of medical-device algorithms, and libertarian “freedom cities” to accelerate clinical access and innovation in longevity research.

Key points

• O’Neill’s HHS deputy role gives him oversight of NIH, CDC, and FDA policy on biomedical research and regulation.
• He advocates lowering FDA approval thresholds and expanding Right to Try to permit phase I-only experimental therapies.
• He champions ‘freedom cities’ and seasteading initiatives with permissive regulatory regimes to accelerate longevity innovation.