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cures

Senator Lieberman introduced the Accelerating Cures Act Act on May 7, 2008. This legislation seeks to speed the development of diagnostics, treatments and even cures for the most burdensome diseases in this country and throughout the world.

Summary

The Accelerating Cures Act will enhance existing and develop new initiatives within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to enhance public and private research efforts to develop new tools and therapies that prevent, detect, and cure diseases.

The Accelerating Cures Act addresses the five major findings of the NAS report on enhancing the NIH's vitality.

Section-by-Section Breakdown

When it comes to investments and advancements in biomedical research, the United States has no equal. Its National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the world's largest public source of biomedical research funding with an annual budget of over $29 billion. The NIH is comprised of 27 major institutes and centers, leading the way in cancer, cardiovascular, infectious disease, and allergy advancements for health promotion and relief from the burdens of disease.

The private sector is also investing substantial resources in increasing both longevity and quality of life. These companies now invest more than the federal government in biomedical research and development (R&D). Potent pharmaceuticals and cutting edge medical devices provide health care professionals with a therapeutic arsenal that has increased lifespan seven years since 1960 and dropped neonatal mortality four fold. Partnerships between NIH and private industry are not often recognized for their key roles in bringing new treatments to the public, but are of great importance as they have led to life-changing therapies from Taxol (paclitaxel) to Claritin (loratadine) to HIV anti-retrovirals.

It is estimated to take 17 years for a science discovery to be translated from the point of proof of concept to clinical application. How can biomedical R&D proceed even faster? How can partnerships between NIH's Institutes and Centers, disease-based non-government organizations, biotech companies, and small and large pharmaceuticals occur even more frequently? Towards which diseases should our resources be prioritized in the first place? How can NIH and the private sector be more responsive to emerging public health threats such as bioterrorism, an avian flu pandemic, antibiotic resistance, and a waning vaccine supply?

Read the full section by section breakdown.

Federal Resources

Bill Tracking