House passes bills for recalcitrant cancer, pediatric research

The U.S. House of Representatives passed two bills by voice vote to advance research for recalcitrant cancers and pediatric diseases. The Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act (H.R. 733) would create an initiative within NIH's National Cancer Institute (NCI) to guide research on recalcitrant cancers -- those with five-year survival rates less than 50%. The bill would require the NCI director to identify two or more cancers that have a five-year survival rate of less than 20% and an annual death rate of at least 30,000, including pancreatic cancer. NCI would be required to form a working group to develop a scientific framework to conduct and support research on the causes, diagnosis and treatment of recalcitrant cancers.

The National Pediatric Research Network Act (H.R. 6163) would allow NIH to award grants to fund research focused on preventing, diagnosing or treating pediatric rare diseases or conditions. The bill would allow NIH to make awards to up to 20 pediatric research consortia, but does not specify funding details. Recipients must agree to conduct at least one multisite clinical trial. The bill would also require NIH to establish a data coordinating center to distribute trial results, help design and conduct research projects, and manage trial results and patient registries. ...