In his January 12, 2016, State of the Union Address, President Obama announced a “national effort” to find innovative new treatments for cancer and said he was putting Vice President Joe Biden “in charge of mission control.” Last October, after stating that he would not be running for President, Biden called for a “moon shot in this country to cure cancer” and said that he would dedicate the remainder of his term to that cause.
In a January 12 blog post, the Vice President wrote that although “innovations in data and technology offer the promise to speed research advances and improve care delivery … the science, data, and research results are trapped in silos, preventing faster progress and greater reach to patients.”
“It’s not just about developing game-changing treatments,” Biden said. “It’s about delivering them to those who need them.”
Meanwhile, President Obama has asked Congress for $755 million in cancer research funding as part of his 2017 budget. That would bring the funding total to nearly $1billion over the next two years for the cancer “moonshot.” Congress has already approved $195 million in funding for new cancer research at the National Institutes of Health.
Under the Administration’s plan, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would receive $75 million for a new “virtual” Oncology Center of Excellence and data-sharing initiatives.
On February 1, a new White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force — consisting of representatives from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Defense, the FDA, and other agencies — convened for the first time.
On February 10, Vice President Biden met with medical professionals from across the North Carolina Research Triangle region who represented a mix of specialists, philanthropies, and community health advocates.
Although the Republican congressional leadership said that they would not hold the customary hearing where a White House official presents the President’s entire budget, both parties seem to agree that certain items, including funding for cancer research, must take priority in the year ahead.