Vice President Joe Biden this afternoon issued the administration’s plan for how the cancer moonshot will launch into orbit. Among the action items included in the report are recommendations offered by the Cancer Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel last month.
In Politico’s Prescription Pulse newsletter this morning, Jon Retzlaff, managing director of science policy and government relations at the American Association for Cancer Research, said, “The Cures bill is something we are going to be strongly advocating for in the lame duck because it’s the perfect vehicle for the moonshot. It could really change the face of cancer."
The Energy and Commerce Committee couldn’t agree more. The goals of the vice president’s initiative are directly intertwined with 21st Century Cures and the objectives outlined in today’s report support the non-partisan initiative - from unleashing the power of data and bringing new therapies to patients sooner, when paired with Cures the moonshot will dramatically improve patient care.
“Cures has been a special initiative from the start," said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). “From day one, it’s always been about the patients. And it’s the energized, unwavering hard work by patients and their loved ones on the front lines that have us closer than ever to delivering #CuresNow."
“While bold, the goal of the Cancer Moonshot is within our grasp," wrote Vice President Biden on the moonshot Medium account.
Chairman Upton continued, “As we have told Vice President Biden, we are ready for lift off. We’re closing in on what’s truly a once-in-a-generation, transformational opportunity to change the way we treat disease. The good news is we have a unified effort in place that will bring hope to current and future patients. We’re on the cusp of something magical. Together, we will get this done."
