Washington, DC (10 July, 2015) – Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) congratulates Representatives Fred Upton (R-MI) and Diana DeGette (D-CO), along with their colleagues, on the successful House vote on the 21st Century Cures Act.This victory follows months of legislative and advocacy work and represents a truly bipartisan success on behalf of patients.

The bill, which was developed through a House Energy and Commerce Committee initiative led by Chairman Upton and Rep. DeGette, aims to improve the research and regulatory infrastructure that serves patients in the United States. In addition to substantial increases to NIH and FDA funding, the bill would create a framework for patient-focused drug development, improve tools to evaluate and advance precision medicine, expand FDA flexibility, and provide extra support for young scientists. These are substantive changes that will improve outcomes for patients.

The 21st Century Cures Act is a model for collaboration across all sectors and parties. It has been supported and shaped by the country’s leading advocates, researchers, regulators, and drug developers, including 70 cancer centers and over 250 patient groups. “This bill is only possible thanks to the leadership of Rep. Upton and Rep. DeGette, the work of the Energy and Commerce Committee staff, and the input of hundreds of patients, advocates, and scientists,” said Ellen Sigal, Chair and Founder of Friends. “This is what true collaboration looks like.”

We hope that legislators and their supporters will carry this momentum into the Senate, so that the 21st Century Cures Act can begin to improve outcomes for patients as quickly as possible. Already, the 21st Century Cures initiative has demonstrated the enormous potential for bipartisan collaboration in the healthcare sector

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