Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Obama Outlines Ambitious 'Precision Medicine' Initiative
The New York Times: U.S. To Collect Genetic Data To Hone Care
Saying that “the possibilities are boundless,” President Obama on Friday announced a major biomedical research initiative, including plans to collect genetic data on one million Americans so scientists could develop drugs and treatments tailored to the characteristics of individual patients. (Pear, 1/30)
The Wall Street Journal: Obama Announces $215 Million Precision-Medicine Genetic Plan
President Barack Obama on Friday laid out an ambitious effort to amass genetic data on one million or more Americans, a plan aimed at discovering genetic causes of disease and finding new drugs that will target dangerous mutations. Speaking at the White House, Mr. Obama called the $215 million Precision Medicine Initiative “one of the biggest opportunities for breakthroughs in medicine that we have ever seen.” (Burton, Rockoff and Winslow, 1/30)
The Washington Post: Obama Touts ‘Lifesaving’ Potential Of Personalized Medicine
In recent years, targeted therapies have led to more effective treatments for various cancers and other diseases, such as cystic fibrosis. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a growing number of specialized drugs for patients with specific genetic mutations, and the biotech industry has many more drugs in development. The trend has benefited from sharp declines in the cost of genome sequencing. (Dennis, 1/29)
Politico: Obama’s ‘Precision Medicine’ Initiative Could Bring Insight Into Disease
The White House on Friday unveiled a $215 million program to study genes of a million Americans in various stages of sickness and health, with the hope of gaining vast new insight into diseases and how to cure them. (Allen, 1/30)
NBC News: Obama Seeks Millions for 'Precision Medicine'
President Barack Obama is asking Congress for $215 million to pay for what he's calling a Precision Medicine Initiative — a plan to rev up more targeted treatments for people. The hope is to build on gains like those made recently in treating cancer. Scientists know that cancer isn't just a single disease and it's become clear that even specific types of cancer, such as breast cancer, are truly separate diseases with separate causes. The initiative would aim to take these discoveries across medicine. (Fox, 1/30)
The Boston Globe: Obama ‘Precision Medicine’ Plan Would Be Boon To Mass.
The Massachusetts life sciences sector, a world leader in developing gene-based therapies and diagnostics, is ready to capitalize on a new program proposed by President Obama to invest in medical research into treatments tailored to an individual’s genes. (Newsham, 1/30)
