Going Bold to Bolster Breakthrough

If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a fearless, tireless, multinational army to achieve breakthrough cancer therapies. Countless researchers on every continent (yes, cancer research happens in Antarctica) dedicate their careers to unlocking the cancer labyrinth and solving the how and why of this brutal disease. But… a new, bolder approach might be what bolsters THE breakthrough.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) at NIH has announced a partnership with Cancer Research UK to fund Cancer Grand Challenges. This is an international initiative to address unanswered questions in cancer research. According to NCI, Cancer Grand Challenges will seek novel ideas “from around the world that offer the potential to make bold advances in cancer research and improve outcomes for people affected by cancer.” NCI Director, Dr. Ned Sharpless expressed “This new partnership leverages the expertise of the world’s leading funders of cancer research in a bold effort to identify and pursue innovative ideas that address major challenges in understanding cancer.”

As bold collaborations like Cancer Grand Challenges yield developments, discoveries and innovation there must be an unobstructed path for patient access to them. A discovery that cannot reach patients never benefits patients. Medicare’s International Pricing Index (IPI) proposal and utilization management policies such as prior authorization and fail first/step therapy obstruct access to new therapies and interfere with the personalized treatment plans that physicians craft to meet the unique needs of each patient. Join Patients and Providers United as it amplifies the voices that seek to keep patients and providers at the center of medical decision making.