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Why Donate to AFMR The Power of You in Advancing Clinical Research President-elect Obama has his work cut out for him on countless fronts when he takes office, but there may be an entire universe of challenges that have yet to cross his radar screen when it comes to curing the ills of the U.S. health care system. In the meantime, there is so much that individual people can do to help stimulate change. Medical science cannot progress without clinical research. Yet the last thing that appears to be on the minds of government leaders is the advancement of clinical research1 so that our nation’s physicians may continue to pursue medical breakthroughs and treat future generations of patients with chronic diseases. Clinical research is not being funded adequately because current funds allotted by the government are apportioned predominantly to basic research rather than to clinical research, which is the only kind of research that yields disease-specific breakthroughs and patient treatment alternatives. Lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill for more clinical research funds have also proven to be a futile exercise over the past two years. Factor in the Iraq war, Wall Street bailout and other big-ticket items, and it’s easy to see why clinical research has taken a back seat to other national priorities. However, chronic diseases account for seven out of 10 deaths in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Such diseases also account for 75% of every health care dollar spent in this country each year. Yet our nation is increasingly neglecting the advancement of clinical research, which can prevent disease, lead to more effective treatments and cures, and cut the astronomical costs that have leaders on Capitol Hill grousing. Another issue that must be addressed is the growing scarcity of human resources in the clinical research field. The current generation of physician investigators is aging rapidly and there aren’t enough investigators to replace them because support for new investigators entering the field has decreased significantly in recent years. According to the National Institutes for Health (NIH), the average age of physician scientists in 1980 was 39. By 2015, the average age is expected to be 52. If action is not taken now, the U.S. will face a critical shortage of qualified physician investigators within the next decade, creating a massive knowledge gap between aging physicians and the next generation of physicians whose responsibility it will be to sustain global health for generations to come. Grim Outlook for NIH Budget The NIH, which has done so much to help advance clinical research in the United States, has experienced significant setbacks in recent months. A long struggle between the Congress and the White House resulted in an extremely disappointing NIH budget for the current fiscal year -- $29.2 billion, a $329 million increase over last year. However, the actual growth for NIH programs is much less because $200 million of the increase will be transferred from NIH to the Department of State for the Global HIV/AIDS fund. When this $200 million transfer to the Global HIV/AIDS Fund is factored in, the actual increase in NIH programs is reduced to just $133 million (0.5%) over last year. At this point, there is little reason for optimism that the NIH will fare better in FY 2009. The statement accompanying the announcement that the President had signed the bill indicated the President’s intention to submit an FY 2009 budget proposal that will “once again restrain spending.” As the NIH budget continues to tighten, the most essential NIH programs that have positively benefitted clinical research in the Unites States are being impacted. One such program is the Clinical Translational Science Award program, which is the NIH-supported clinical research program, intended to speed the translation of scientific discovery to the treatment of patients. Due to budget cuts, NIH is unable to fully fund the evolution and expansion of the CTSA program, which has become a critical structure that provides the training and research of junior investigators who will usher modern medicine into the future. At this time, there is no indication that cuts in federal funding for clinical research will cease, yet the cost of not advancing research and training future physician scientists is one that will be paid by the entire world. The United States is presently a global feeder pool of physician scientists. If the U.S. allows a breakdown in clinical research to occur and procrastinates in revitalizing the physician-scientist workforce of the future, then medical breakthroughs, treatments and critical training will not reach the rest of the world. A clear message has been sent from Washington – more must be done to advance clinical research, but federal support to do so has been drying up in recent years. With Obama taking office in January and a new NIH director slated to be seated at an undetermined time in 2009, the near-term fate of clinical research is unknown. But one thing is certain – the election season has ushered in new possibilities for change – change that will come once policy and medical science meet at the critical intersection that could finally begin to treat the most serious health care issues in this great nation, which appear to be largely systemic. The AFMR Mission The mission of the American Federation for Medical Research is to promote understanding of recent advances in biomedical science for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease; to facilitate the exchange of ideas and information among physicians and other investigators who are concerned with the treatment of disease; and to improve health by fostering research in all medical disciplines through public policy initiatives and educational programs. All of the AFMR’s initiatives and programs are designed to foster the development of future generations of world-leading clinical researchers. Our life’s work is to make sure clinical research advances so that public health does not deteriorate and so that future generations may always benefit from the latest advances in medicine. Funding is needed if the United States is to maintain progress in this critical area of human welfare. Please do not underestimate the power of your individual contribution to the advancement of clinical research. Every dollar moves us one step closer to a new treatment, cure or proven preventative method for ourselves and our loved ones. With more involvement and support from patients and every-day users of our health care system, the U.S. government will recognize its need to re-prioritize clinical research as a key component of its plan to make significant and lasting improvements to our nation’s health care system. Thank you for your support!
Notes:
¹: The Institute of Medicine defines clinical research as “research conducted with human subjects in a patient or an outpatient setting.” |
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