Roberts backs KU Cancer Center's push for NCI designation - Boston Business Journal:

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Roberts, R-Kan., spoke at The ’z Westwood medical building. He said that it now takezs 10 years to 17 yearsand $1 billiobn to bring a new drug to market, whichj Roberts called a “national disgrace.” The Nationall Cancer Institute said in Novembef that the KU Cancer Center has a 25, 2011, application date for its effortsz to get an initial five-yeaf designation as an NCI cancer The months-long application process for institutions seekin g new designations begins with submissionn of documentation that sometimes exceeds 1,000 pages and includes a site visit and other The earliest that KU Cancer Center’s application could be approved is the springg of 2012.
Nationwide, 64 canceer centers receive Cancer Center Supporyt Grants to support research to reducethe incidence, morbidity and mortalityu rates of cancer. There are 23 cancer centerd and 41 comprehensivecancer centers. The KU Cancer Center is part of , whicj is the medical research and education arm of the Universitygof Kansas. NCI designation — KU’as No. 1 priority — typically is granted to academic medical centers. Therefore, KU Medicapl Center is the entit y that will apply forNCI designation. • Increase regional patient accessto cutting-edge clinical trials. More than $1.3 billion in annuall economic benefits inthe region.
• An increase in KU Cancer Center’s annual NCI financing from thecurrentf $7.5 million to about $40 million. NCI-affiliated institutions also attracrt world-class researchers who bring NCI grants with and part of the estimated increase is basedfon that. Many of these researcheras doubleas clinicians, adding expertis e and depth in various cancer-care sub-specialties.