The Cancer Letter

Lou Weisbach tells us about his plan to raise $750 billion for the American Center for Cures
Conversation with The Cancer Letter

Lou Weisbach tells us about his plan to raise $750 billion for the American Center for Cures

For nearly 25 years, business executive Lou Weisbach and urologist Richard J. Boxer have argued that finding the money to finance the cures for devastating diseases is not as difficult as it appears. To start finding the cures, the U.S. Department of the Treasury needs to issue some bonds—$750 billion worth. Next, you hire CEOs—one... […]
Optimizing dosing of expensive and toxic oncology drugs: Making America healthier
Trials & Tribulations

Optimizing dosing of expensive and toxic oncology drugs: Making America healthier

There is general agreement that the United States spends too much on health care, especially on pharmaceuticals.  But what we spend on drugs is not simply a function of price. If eggs double in price, people can simply cut the number of eggs they eat in half.  Simply stated, cost is the product of (price per unit times the number of units purchased). 
Federal funding cutbacks undermine advances in cancer research and treatment
Guest Editorial

Federal funding cutbacks undermine advances in cancer research and treatment
What would Richard Nixon and Ted Kennedy think?

What did President Richard M. Nixon and Senator Edward M. Kennedy have in common? They each played a pivotal role in the passage of the National Cancer Act signed by Nixon on Dec. 23, 1971. The NCA established the National Cancer Program authorizing the initial investment in the NCI-designated Cancer Centers Program. 
From “undruggable” target to clinical potential: The journey of AOH1996
Sponsored

From “undruggable” target to clinical potential: The journey of AOH1996

When I first proposed targeting PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) as a therapeutic approach, the response I got was: “No one will ever make a drug against PCNA. It’s undruggable.” The protein lacks enzymatic activity, has a disordered region, and binds to over 200 other proteins within the cell. From a traditional drug development perspective, these characteristics made PCNA an impossible target.
The Directors: Candace Johnson and Jonathan Friedberg on living through uncertainty at NCI, payment woes
Podcast

The Directors: Candace Johnson and Jonathan Friedberg on living through uncertainty at NCI, payment woes
Directors of two neighboring cancer centers in Upstate New York will face challenges, but “we’ll get through it”

Candace S. Johnson leads America’s oldest cancer research center and Jonathan W. Friedberg leads the newest NCI-designated center. Their catchment areas are contiguous, their faculty and staff members collaborate often, and together their institutions embody the culture of NCI-designated cancer centers. 
In first NCAB meeting since Trump’s inauguration, Lowy reflects on funding choices in lean times
Regulatory News

In first NCAB meeting since Trump’s inauguration, Lowy reflects on funding choices in lean times
“In the NCI director’s office, we have a photograph of a stone bridge, and it asks the question, which stone holds up the bridge? And the answer is all of them.”

In the first meeting of the National Cancer Advisory Board since the inauguration of President Donald Trump, NCI Principal Deputy Director Douglas R. Lowy addressed many of the burning questions the oncology field has for the institute. On indirect costs: NCI will continue to use previously negotiated and approved indirect cost rates, with the exception... […]