Increased deployment of cancer genomics research
promises not only to increase the number of potential
targets for the development of novel precision anticancer
therapeutics, but also to identify markers of response and
resistance to all forms of treatment. The power of this
information to transform patient care could be dramatically
enhanced by pairing knowledge of genetic markers of
response and resistance with emerging technologies, often
referred to as liquid biopsies.
Building Blocks to Further
Precision Medicine
Federal investments in the NIH, NCI, and FDA have
powered extraordinary progress against cancer by
catalyzing scientific discovery and enabling the translation
of discoveries into advances across the continuum of
clinical cancer care. Progress in the area of precision
medicine has been particularly striking, although there are
many challenges to overcome if we are to realize our goal
of expanding precision medicine to all forms of cancer
prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment.
First and foremost, we must continue to increase our
understanding of the biology of cancer and to develop
new approaches to translating this knowledge into health
care advances that will save lives. To do this, we must
prioritize and increase federal funding for biomedical
research, cancer research, and the FDA. Only by investing
in research talent, tools, and infrastructure; supporting
regulatory science initiatives; and increasing patient
involvement in precision medicine initiatives will we be
able to accelerate the pace of progress and realize our goal
of preventing and curing cancer.
AACR CAll to ACtion
What if matching a
cancer cure to our
genetic code was
just as standard [as a
blood transfusion]? …
[T]he time is right to
unleash a new wave of
advances in this area,
in precision medicine. ”
“
Presiden T baracK obama, Whi Te house briefing
on Precision medicine, Jan. 30, 2015
Following more than a decade of budget stagnation and
outright funding cuts, the administration and a bipartisan
majority of members of Congress have demonstrated, thus
far in 2015, a strong commitment to increasing the budgets
for the NIH, NCI, and FDA.
During this time of unprecedented promise in biomedical
and cancer research, robust, sustained, and predictable
investments in the NIH and NCI, are urgently needed. This
is a sentiment shared by the majority of American voters,
as a 2015 national survey conducted on behalf of the AACR
by Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies
found that three out of every four voters favor increasing
federal funding of cancer research.
Therefore, the AACR respectfully urges Congress and the
administration to:
• Implement a strategy for robust, sustained,
and predictable growth in funding for the
NIH and NCI by providing annual budget
increases of at least 7 percent. This level of
funding would represent strong growth in excess of the
biomedical inflation rate, resulting in fiscal year (FY)
2020 funding levels for the NIH and NCI of $42.5 billion
and $7 billion, respectively.
• Increase the FDA budget in FY 2016 by $200
million above its FY 2015 level (a 7 percent
increase from $2.6 billion to $2.8 billion) and
ensure that the agency receives comparable
annual percentage increases thereafter.
Achieving these goals will require Congress to work in
a bipartisan fashion to enact a broad-based budget deal
that raises the discretionary funding caps for FY 2016
and beyond. This would allow our nation’s policymakers
to invest in priority areas, such as biomedical research,
cancer research, and regulatory science, which will speed
innovation and accelerate the pace of development of
products that are safe, effective, and ultimately advance
public health.
By committing to provide the NIH, NCI, and FDA with annual
funding increases that are robust, sustained, and predictable,
we will transform cancer care, spur innovation and economic
growth, maintain our position as the global leader in science
and biomedical research, and, most importantly, bring hope to
cancer patients and their loved ones.
