Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Researchers: Call For Cancer 'Moonshot' Relies On Archaic View Of Disease
The New York Times: ‘Moonshot’ To Cure Cancer, To Be Led By Biden, Relies On Outmoded View Of Disease
Last Friday a group of 15 cancer researchers cut short a meeting at the Food and Drug Administration. The reason: They had been invited to Vice President Joseph R. Biden’s office to discuss his “moonshot” to cure cancer. ... [But] the idea that a concerted government push can lead to a “cure” for cancer is nearly a half century old, stretching back to President Nixon’s failed “War on Cancer.” (Kolata and Harris, 1/13)
CQ Healthbeat: Advocates Praise Cancer Fight But Express Concern About Details
Cancer research groups are pleased with the State of the Union pledge from President Barack Obama that Vice President Joe Biden Jr., who lost his son to cancer last year, will lead a bold charge to fight the disease. But advocates say that although the goal to reduce the 590,000 annual U.S. cancer deaths is more attainable than ever, the effort will require a targeted approach and sustained resources long after Obama’s presidency ends. (Zanona, 1/13)
Politico Pro: Cancer 'Moon Shot' Faces Challenges, Opportunities
The White House's "moon shot" to accelerate the search for a cancer cure has the scientific research community abuzz over the possibilities raised by such a high-profile push. Vice President Joe Biden may announce some specifics as soon as Friday when he visits a cancer center in Philadelphia to kick off the effort outlined in the State of the Union address. (Norman, Allen and Karlin, 1/13)
Marketplace: Why Data May Be The Key To A Cancer "Moon Shot"
President Obama's final State of the Union address is in the books, and it was a speech largely empty of the policy promises that presidents usually make when they address the Congress — save one. The president said he is putting Vice President Joe Biden in charge of a "moon shot" to help find a cure for cancer. Biden has gotten some of the credit for securing additional research funding now headed to the National Institutes of Health. And now, cancer experts are calling on Biden to unlock patient data that holds the potential to help researchers, but that is nearly impossible to share. (Gorenstein, 1/13)
NPR: Doctors Respond To Obama's Ambitious Moonshot To Cure Cancer
NPR's Kelly McEvers talks to Dr. William Nelson, director of the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, about Obama's ambitious plan to end cancer and why we haven't found a cure. (1/13)
