Experts say that funding for cancer research is at risk during the pandemic.

Abstract

Over the past 5 years, the US Congress has approved an increase of $11.6 billion, or approximately 39%, for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget, which has enabled significant research funding. However, with the arrival of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, experts say that future funding and medical research progress are now at risk. “The consequences of the pandemic on the entire medical enterprise are extremely concerning for the medical research community,” says Jon Retzlaff, MBA, MPA, chief policy officer and vice president of science policy and government affairs for the American Association for Cancer Research. “It's why we've been advocating for $15.5 billion to be included in the next COVID-19 relief supplemental appropriations bill.” The financial challenges that universities and medical centers have been experiencing as well as significant disruptions in laboratory and clinical research during the pandemic have all taken a toll and led to lost research opportunities, he says. Researchers are concerned that they could lose entire germ lines and mouse colonies and that fewer patients have enrolled in clinical trials. Meanwhile, many laboratories and most supplemental government research dollars have been redirected toward COVID-19 research. According to Retzlaff, of the $15.5 billion requested for the NIH, $10 billion is needed to offset the expenses associated with research disruptions that have occurred during the pandemic. At press time—shortly before Election Day—he did not anticipate that Congress would approve a COVID-19 relief appropriations bill until after the presidential election. In addition, he and fellow medical research advocates requested a $3 billion increase in NIH's fiscal year 2021 budget to continue the institutes' robust research efforts. He praises leaders in both the Senate and the House, specifically Senators Roy Blunt of Missouri and Patty Murray of Washington and Representatives Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Tom Cole of Oklahoma, for championing NIH support over the past 5 years. Although he is optimistic that the NIH will see another significant increase in fiscal year 2021, he recognizes that many challenges remain. Currently, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has a 10% success rate, which means that only 1 in 10 reviewed grant applications are being funded. “Prior to the pandemic, the rate of applications being submitted to NCI was at a pace we've never seen—there was incredible momentum and excitement,” Retzlaff says. He adds that, like other private research funders, the American Association for Cancer Research has experienced a reduction in donations, which has left it with a lower funding capacity and has made it even more imperative for the federal government to step in and provide assistance. To that end, approximately 500 people representing nearly every state participated in the virtual Rally for Medical Research Hill Day on September 17, 2020. Participants included health care providers, researchers, clinicians, caregivers, and survivors, who held some 400 meetings with Congressional representatives. The event was the largest and most inclusive since Hill Day first launched in 2013. These groups will continue working to remind Congress that medical research into major diseases needs to remain at the forefront, Retzlaff says. “Cancer and heart disease are still the number 1 and number 2 causes of death, and we can't afford to take our eyes off the ball.”