WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Biden and the First Lady will announce the next step in the Cancer Moonshot Initiative today in New Orleans, LA. Today’s announcement includes funding up to $150 million in Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) awards to develop technologies that will allow surgeons to provide more successful tumor-removal surgeries for people facing cancer. The awards will go to eight teams across the country as part of ARPA-H's Precision Surgical Interventions (PSI) program, aiming to bring the country closer to the Moonshot’s goal of reducing the cancer death rate by at least half before 2047 and improving the experience of people who are touched by cancer.
“We’ve made tremendous strides in how we prevent, detect, treat and survive cancer, but there is still much work to be done to improve the lives of those touched by this disease,” said Dr. Karen E. Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). “Cancer cases are estimated to hit an all-time high this year, and we cannot relent in driving forward public policies that will address this. Funding more researchers across the country focused on more effective and innovative treatments will bring us closer to future cancer breakthroughs and ending cancer as we know it, for everyone.”
The Moonshot has served as a framework to reignite efforts to reduce the cancer burden for individuals and families by focusing on strategies to increase investment in research and expand access to coverage and patient navigation services, among other important strategies. In just two years, ARPA-H has invested more than $400 million to accelerate progress in preventing, detecting and treating cancer.
“We commend President Biden and his administration for prioritizing accelerated progress against cancer through the National Cancer Moonshot,” said Lisa Lacasse, president of ACS CAN. “We’re excited to see that momentum continued today. We know that a national commitment to robust cancer research funding, including ARPA-H, and passing other cancer related policy priorities, will save lives. ACS CAN and our thousands of advocates across the country look forward to continuing our work with the administration – and elected officials at all levels of government – to ensure this commitment remains steadfast.”
This latest Moonshot Initiative announcement takes place just a month before ACS CAN’s Leadership Summit and Lobby Day, where nearly 750 cancer advocates will be in Washington, D.C., urging Congress to make cancer a national priority.
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