Douglas Lowy became the NCI acting director April 1. On April 16, Lowy spoke with Paul Goldberg, editor and publisher of The Cancer Letter.
Paul Goldberg: Congratulations, first of all. How is the job treating you?
Douglas Lowy: Well, it is certainly a lot of work, but it’s an incredible opportunity—I have the opportunity of working with terrific people every day. I love it.
PG: Did you want this job?
DL: I never thought of myself as either becoming acting NCI director or the permanent NCI director, and it was not something I lobbied for.
Two top administrators at MD Anderson Cancer Center, whose job responsibilities include maintaining harmony with the faculty, received substantial pay increases for having “excelled beyond expectation” and “effectively” directing the center’s clinical activities.
According to documents obtained by The Cancer Letter under the Texas Public Information Act, MD Anderson Provost Ethan Dmitrovsky and Physician-in-Chief Thomas Buchholz received $200,000 each in deferred compensation in 2015.
With incentive pay, supplemental annuity and deferred compensation included, the 2015 raise could boost Dmitrovsky’s total paycheck by as much as 22.9 percent compared to fiscal 2014. Buchholz’s compensation could increase by 31.4 percent.
 | Lawmakers Repeal Medicare SGR in Bipartisan Vote President Barack Obama signed the Medicare Access and Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act on April 14, permanently repealing the Medicare sustainable growth rate formula. The bill received overwhelming bipartisan support: The House of Representatives voted 392 to 37 on April 2, and the Senate approved it with a 92 to 8 vote April 14. |
 | In Brief
NCI renews Purdue’s designation as an NCI Basic Science Cancer Center Joseph Gulfo named executive director of the Rothman Institute at Fairleigh Dickinson University Don Gabriel joins United BioSource Corp. Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin opened its MACC Fund Center clinical and Northwestern Mutual Day Hospital Roche acquires CAPP Medical
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 | Drugs and Targets
Health Canada approves new indication for Xtandi Bayer HealthCare expands global clinical development of copanlisib Immunocore and MedImmune enter into second collaboration
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