Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, FACS, FASCO
The following statement was recently issued by Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, FACS, FASCO, Chair of the Association for Clinical Oncology, the affiliate organization of the Society:
ASCO applauds implementation of the Research to Accelerate Cures and Equity (RACE) for Children Act. Applications to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for marketing approval of new drugs and biological products—including orphan drugs that have relevance to pediatric cancer—must include an assessment of pediatric use.
For too long, development of new drug treatments for children with cancer have lagged behind the innovations in cancer treatments for adults. In fact, most children with cancer still receive therapies that were developed as long ago as the 1960s.
ASCO proudly supported the RACE for Children Act and applauded the bipartisan leadership of Representatives Michael McCaul (R-TX) and G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) and Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Michael Bennett (D-CO), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Cory Gardner (R-CO), who co-sponsored the legislation and shepherded it through to passage as part of the FDA Reauthorization Act of 2017.
As implementation of the RACE for Children Act begins, ASCO is confident that by using today’s science to develop new, targeted therapies with the unique needs of children in mind, the cancer care community can finally begin to address a critical unmet need of the pediatric cancer population.
