Biden To Relaunch More Modest Cancer Moonshot But No New Funding
The effort will create a “cancer Cabinet” of federal departments and agencies to better focus the government’s efforts on the disease and promote more cancer screenings. But at this point, it doesn't include any specific funding.
Stat:
Biden Once Pledged To ‘Cure Cancer.’ His New Approach Is Far More Modest
President Biden has been pledging to “cure” cancer for the past six years, beginning with his moonshot effort as vice president. He re-upped that pledge on the campaign trail, too, vowing again: “If I’m elected, we’re going to cure cancer.” This time, though, Biden’s no longer promising a “cure.” Instead, Biden will relaunch the White House Cancer Moonshot on Wednesday with an ambitious but noticeably more measured goal: Cutting the cancer death rate in half within 25 years. In substance and tone, the effort is comparatively modest when compared to 2016. Most notably, it doesn’t call for any new research funding — a key pillar of the Obama-era push. (Facher, 2/2)
Los Angeles Times:
Biden To Announce Relaunch Of Federal Effort To Reduce Cancer Deaths
Among the Biden administration’s first steps will be to create a “cancer Cabinet” of federal departments and agencies to better focus the government’s efforts on the disease and to host a gathering of public and private groups to discuss innovations in treatment, the official said. The president will also appoint a coordinator to work out of the White House to oversee the effort. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are expected to promote cancer screening, a key diagnostic tool that can improve survival rates. Americans missed 9.5 million such screenings because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the White House. (Logan and Kaur, 2/2)
Roll Call:
Biden Reignites 'Cancer Moonshot' Effort
Biden hopes some of the proposed research will be ... conducted via his previously proposed agency, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, senior administration officials said. ARPA-H would be housed within the National Institutes of Health and tackle medical breakthroughs for diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, though it hasn't yet received congressional funding. (Cohen, 2/2)
In related news —
Stat:
Fight Over Pricey Cancer Drug Offers A Test On March-In Rights
Next month, the National Institutes of Health is expected to decide whether to proceed with a request to widen access to a pricey prostate cancer treatment by using a controversial provision of a federal law, a decision that is being closely watched for signs that the Biden administration may seek additional ways to address the high cost of medicines. The development comes as Washington grapples with an increasingly vexing pocketbook issue for many Americans. But with legislation to tackle prescription drug pricing stalled in Congress, there is pressure on the White House to appease restive consumers. For this reason, the NIH deliberation on whether to hold a hearing about patents on Xtandi, a prostate cancer drug, is prompting speculation. (Silverman, 1/31)
In other news about the Biden administration —
American Homefront Project:
Moving From 'Draconian' Health Measures, The Navy Is Hoping To Manage COVID For The Long Term
The Navy is trying to figure out what the "new normal" will be after two years of battling COVID-19. In the opening months of the pandemic, the Navy was caught off guard. In April 2020, it was forced to sideline the USS Roosevelt in Guam for more than a month to try to stop a quickly spreading COVID-19 outbreak on board. Eventually, more than a third of the sailors were infected. One sailor on the carrier died. The Navy relieved the Roosevelt's commanding officer, Capt. Brett Crozier, after a letter leaked in which he complained the Navy wasn’t doing enough to get sailors off the ship. The situation became a case study on how not to handle COVID-19. (Walsh, 2/1)
AP:
AP FACT CHECK: Biden Exaggerates $10 A Month 'Obamacare'
The Affordable Care Act — “Obamacare” — has inspired many exaggerated claims through the years, both from fans and foes. Now President Joe Biden is adding his own. With a few loose words turned into a pithy formula, the president implies that his enhanced version of the ACA is much better than it really is. Biden suggests that considerably more people are getting health insurance for less than $10 a month than what’s actually been the case. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 2/1)
