The AAMC submitted an Aug. 2 letter (PDF) responding to a request for information (RFI) issued by Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Larry Bucshon, MD (R-Ind.) regarding building “upon the 21st Century Cures initiative and identify[ing] what is needed in future legislation to ensure that patients can access life-changing treatments” [refer to Washington Highlights, June 7].
Responding to questions on Cures policies that have advanced through legislation or executive action, elements that may be missing that are essential for further progress, and additional reforms that may be needed, the AAMC’s letter outlined existing efforts underway at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and federal health agencies to advance and improve upon policies included in the 21st Century Cures Act (P.L. 114-255), passed in 2016, and the Cures 2.0 Act (H.R. 6000), introduced in 2021. Among other feedback, the letter highlighted opportunities to advance clinical care and clinical trial innovation, increasing support for the physician workforce, avoiding policies that undermine academic medicine, identifying opportunities to support early-stage investigators and the next generation of the research workforce, and supporting academic-industry partnerships. The letter also emphasized the need for lawmakers to support sustainable, predictable growth in medical research supported by the NIH and to ensure opportunities to incorporate any new changes through a phased, deliberative process when possible.
According to the announcement for the RFI, DeGette and Bucshon noted that while the 21st Century Cures initiative is an ongoing process, feedback is vital in “helping to shape a health care landscape that is innovative, responsive, and patient-focused.”