BREAKING: President Biden Reignites Cancer Moonshot
The White House announced today a renewed commitment to the Cancer Moonshot, an initiative first launched in 2016 when Joe Biden was Vice-President. The mission of the Cancer Moonshot is to accelerate the rate of progress against cancer. In today’s announcement, President Biden is setting a goal of cutting the death rate from cancer in half over the next 25 years.
The White House statement - which can be read in its entirety here - includes a specific goal “to speed progress against the most deadly and rare cancers, including childhood cancers.”
“Today, we know cancer as a disease for which we lack good strategies for developing treatments against many of the more than 200 distinct types. We can invest in a robust pipeline for new treatments, and the COVID-19 pandemic response has demonstrated we can accelerate clinical trials without compromising safety and effectiveness.”
The White House also issued a call to action to jumpstart progress on cancer screenings that were missed due to Covid-19. A recent study out of England raised the alarm about missed and delayed diagnoses in children, an issue we have been following closely since the beginning of the pandemic.
President Biden delivered remarks on the Moonshot - February 2nd - at 1:30 pm Eastern:
While there is still much to learn about the details (early analysis raises big questions about funding), we are encouraged that today’s announcement emphasizes the importance of survivorship and long-term quality of life:
“Today, we know cancer as a disease in which we do not do enough to help people and families navigate cancer and its aftermath. We can help people overcome the medical, financial, and emotional burdens that cancer brings by providing support to navigate cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.”