Blog: A Year on the #Path2Cures
Press Release
One year ago today the 21st Century Cures initiative held its first of many roundtables and hearings to gather ideas from across the country for how to accelerate the pace of cures in the United States.
James Pinkerton described the event in Brietbart writing, "several hundred people gathered for an expression of hopeful humanity, a flowering of bipartisan cooperation on behalf of an important issue -- namely, medical cures. Come to think of it, it's fair to say that medical cures are more than an important issue; they are, in the most literal sense, a vital, life-saving issue."
Chairman Upton began the conversation asking, "What steps can Congress take to accelerate the discovery-development-delivery cycle in the U.S. to foster innovation, bring new treatments and cures to patients, and keep more jobs in the U.S.?"
Over the past year, the committee and its members have hosted dozens of roundtables and hearings, both in Washington, D.C., and across the country. The committee created a dedicated email address, cures@mail.house.gov, and solicited ideas on Facebook and Twitter using #Path2Cures.
21st Century Cures sought ideas and input from patients and experts from all corners of the health care innovation infrastructure -- from researchers and innovators at the drug discovery phase to manufacturers and scientists at the development phase to patients and health care providers at the delivery phase. Chairman Upton understood the need to bring all of these individuals together at one table for an open and honest conversation about how to do more and do better for patients.
Pinkerton explained, "Upton made a significant departure from the familiar battle-as-usual pattern of Congress."
Last week bipartisan committee leaders introduced a discussion draft reflecting many of the ideas shared throughout the past year. The Subcommittee on Health held a legislative hearing with witnesses from NIH and FDA to discuss the draft. Chairman Upton said "We have a chance to do something big, and this is our time."
Stay up to speed with 21st Century Cures online here or using #Cures2015 on social media.
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