September 2004

SEPTEMBER 2004

News in this issue:

> FOCR Awards Dinner
> Updates on NIH Funding, FDA news, and Medicare Initiatives
> Eli Lilly Newsmaker Forum
> Other Friends activities
> Report on Stem Cell Hearing

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FOCR is a non-profit organization that raises awareness and provides public education on cancer research in order to accelerate the nation's progress toward prevention and treatment of cancer.

Welcome to the September 2004 issue of the Friends of Cancer Research Newsletter. For more information and updates, please monitor the Friends' website at www.focr.org.

FOCR Presents 2004 Cancer Leadership Awards

MCLEAN, VIRGINIA-- Friends of Cancer Research President, Marlene Malek, and Chairperson, Ellen Sigal, hosted an Awards Dinner at the Malek residence on the evening of September 29th. Stressing the importance of collaboration and cooperation between advocacy groups, government, and the private sector, the event honored innovative leaders from both the government and corporate arenas for their outstanding contributions to the fight against cancer this past year. A characteristic common to all the award winners is their willingness to actively and directly engage the cancer community on issues of great significance to cancer patients, researchers, and physicians.

Honorees included Dr. Lester Crawford, Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach, Director of the National Cancer Institute, Clifton Leaf, Executive Editor of Fortune Magazine, and Dr. Mark McClellan, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Dr. Anna Barker of the NCI and Dr. Janet Woodcock of the FDA also received special recognition for their leadership on the NCI/FDA Task Force. Please click here for more details about this event.

ABOVE From left to right: Dr. Ellen Sigal (FOCR), Dr. Lester Crawford (FDA), Dr. Anna Barker (NCI), Clifton Leaf (Fortune Magazine), Marlene Malek (FOCR), Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach (NCI), and Dr. Janet Woodcock (FDA).

RIGHT From Left to right: Dr. Ellen Sigal, Dr. Mark McClellan (CMS), and Marlene Malek.

POLICY UPDATES

NIH Funding
On September 15th, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2005 Labor-HHS-Education Bill (S.2810). Included in the $142.3 billion appropriations bill sponsored by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) is $28.9 billion for NIH, an increase of $1.1 billion over the FY’04 appropriation (roughly a 4% increase) and $380 million over the President’s budget request. The NCI-designated portion approved by the Committee is $4.89 billion, an increase of $155 million (or 3.3% ). It is not certain when this bill will be considered by the full chamber.

The Senate's NIH appropriation level is higher than what the House approved by a vote of 388-13 on September 9th in its Labor-HHS-Education appropriations package sponsored by Representative Ralph Regula (R-OH)(H.R. 5006). Following closely the President's request, the House version includes $28.5 billion for NIH. This increase of approximately 2.4% over FY 2004 would be the smallest annual increase in the NIH budget since 1985. The NCI-designated portion is $4.87 billion, an increase of $130 million (or 2.7%).

It remains unclear whether the House or Senate numbers will ultimately prevail or whether some compromised will be reached. Friends of Cancer Research recently joined with nearly 600 health organizations in signing a letter in support of the Senate's proposed increases.

There exists little expectation that any action will be taken on these bills before the November elections.

FDA Seeks Applicants for Director of the New Oncology Office

The Food and Drug Administration is now seeking applications for director of the newly created Office of Oncology Drug Products. Click here to download a copy of the job posting. For more information, contact the Office of New Drugs/Program Management Team via email at: employment@cder.fda.gov

Medicare Initiative Seeks Participants- Enrollment Period Extended

A new Medicare program known as the “Medicare Replacement Drug Demonstration Project” is scheduled for launch October 18, 2004. Under this program, people with certain life-threatening diseases can obtain drugs for self administration at home. The project will set significant savings in place for certain oral anti-cancer drugs previously not covered by Medicare. Only 20 percent of the 50,000 slots available have been filled and the Demonstration project is accepting applications on a rolling basis. For more information, please visit

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/researchers/demos/drugcoveragedemo.asp

FRIENDS ACTIVITIES

Eli Lilly Newsmaker Forum

Friends' Chairperson Ellen Sigal participated in Eli Lilly's September "Newsmaker Forum," a monthly program featuring top leaders from inside and outside Eli Lilly gathered to share their expertise on important health-related topics. In light of recent statistics projecting cancer to soon overtake heart disease as the leading cause of death, September's forum focused on the barriers to cancer prevention. The panelists, pointing to the success of prevention and early detection in lowering deaths related to heart disease, emphasized taking a similar approach to fighting cancer.

Other Activities

Dr. Ellen Sigal, founder and chairperson of Friends of Cancer Research, will receive the 2004 AACI Public Service Award from the Association of American Cancer Institutes. Dr. Sigal will accept the award at the AACI Annual Meeting in Chicago from October 24-26. For more details about the meeting or to register, please visit:
http://www.aaci-cancer.org/03_mem_ameeting_2004welcome.html

Representatives from Friends of Cancer Research recently attended a "Day on the Hill" organized by the National Coalition for Cancer Research on September 22nd and the Global Access Project meeting held at the National Press Club on Wednesday, September 29th. A few weeks prior, Dr. Ellen Sigal represented Friends of Cancer Research at a Clinical Trials Retreat hosted by ASCO, AACR, and AACI in early September .

Report from Stem Cell Hearing
As we enter a new frontier of scientific research and advancement, the debate on stem cell research continues full-fledged. Friends of Cancer Research remains steadfast in its support of stem cell research as an essential element in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Yamini Rao, our policy intern from Dartmouth College, attended the hearing of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space that delved into the ethical and scientific implications of the controversy surrounding the issue.

For more information regarding the hearing, please click below or visit:
http://www.focr.org/news/policy.htm

IN THE SPOTLIGHT:
Coming next month a double spotlight on the Senate Cancer Coalition and the House Cancer Caucus.