The Launch: Establishment of a Cancer Moonshot Task Force
President Obama established a first-of-its-kind Cancer Moonshot Task Force (the “Task Force”) uniting 20 federal departments, agencies, and White House Offices under Vice President Biden’s leadership in the fight against cancer. The Task Force was charged with leveraging federal investments, targeted incentives, private sector efforts, patient engagement initiatives, and more, to support cancer research and enable progress in prevention, screening, and treatment. These collective efforts are not intended to replace existing cancer programs, initiatives, and policies already underway, but instead are focused on areas in which a coordinated effort can dramatically accelerate the pace of progress in the fight against cancer.
Concurrent with the launch of the Task Force, President Obama proposed an additional $1 billion investment by the Federal Government to jumpstart the initiative:
- $195 million targeted for cancer activities aligned with the priorities of the Cancer Moonshot at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Fiscal Year 2016.
- $755 million in proposed funds for new cancer-related research activities at both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Fiscal Year 2017 (budget request).
- Increased investments by the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) — the Nation’s largest public health care providers — by supporting Centers of Excellence focused on specific cancers and by conducting large long-term studies in the military and Veteran populations to define cancer risk factors and improve treatment.
President Obama’s Memorandum also directed the Task Force to consult with external experts, including the presidentially appointed National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB). To ensure that the mission of the Cancer Moonshot was grounded in the best science, the NCAB formed a Blue Ribbon Panel. Recommendations made by the Blue Ribbon Panel detailing the scientific areas that will benefit from additional funding, support, and coordination were accepted by the NCAB and are described in an accompanying report. The scientific goals outlined in that report are highly synergistic with the areas described throughout this report and are intended to complement the Task Force’s plans.
The Task Force also identified ways in which the Cancer Moonshot could build on the critical accomplishments of this Administration in improving our understanding of cancer and access to cancer care. The President’s aggressive push to increase biomedical research funding generally, and the launch of programs like the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative and the Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) more specifically, has injected new money and enthusiasm into efforts in genomics, proteomics, technology development, data science, and immunotherapy. Critically, the landmark Affordable Care Act has provided coverage for the uninsured, eliminated discrimination based on pre-existing conditions such as cancer, begun to close the gaps in coverage for seniors needing cancer drugs, and improved access to one of the most effective tools we have against cancer — prevention screenings — without cost sharing.
However, the Cancer Moonshot is a call to action, and its mission cannot be achieved by the Federal Government working alone or in isolation.
Thus, in its deliberations, the Task Force sought new ways of mobilizing partnerships with the private sector and created new opportunities for collaboration. Additional private sector collaborations and efforts spurred by the Vice President’s leadership, in addition to his vision for igniting new innovation within the biomedical research enterprise, are outlined in an accompanying executive report. In sum, the Cancer Moonshot reflects the widespread commitment of the Federal Government, the private sector, scientific researchers, nonprofit organizations, advocates, patients, families, and more working together to catalyze innovation, accelerate progress, and continuously disseminate and act on new knowledge to improve the lives of those facing cancer.
Read previous chapter:
The Opportunity: Ending Cancer as We Know It
Read next chapter:
Charting the Course: Organizational Framework
Download the full Cancer Moonshot Task Force report.
