A new report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has found that proposed cuts at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) could lower the number of new drugs that come to market in the next 3 decades. The report comes as Congress considers President Trump’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026, which contains massive cuts for the NIH, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the National Cancer Institute.
The following is a statement from Lisa Lacasse, President of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network:
“The new CBO report delivers a sobering warning that while proposed federal cuts to the NIH may offer modest short-term savings, they come with devastating long-term consequences for innovation, public health, and the nation’s global leadership. The report projects that if just a 10% permanent cut was enacted, the impacts on drug approvals would grow, and by the third decade, the United States would be approving more than 20 fewer drugs each decade. Notably, the administration has proposed a 40% cut—far above what CBO modeled. These numbers represent real delays in progress, missed chances to discover cures, and prolonged suffering for millions waiting for therapies to slow or cure diseases, such as cancer.”
“The report also underscores that these budget reductions would do more than slow the pace of new discoveries—they would threaten America’s position as the world leader in biomedical research. For decades, our country has set the standard for scientific excellence by driving breakthroughs that not only improve lives at home but also define our standing on the world stage.”
“CBO’s findings should serve as a clear call to action: Protecting NIH funding is a matter of life, leadership, and long-term national strength.”
