The White House’s Cancer Moonshot 2020 is about much more than clinical research. Data, IT and patient engagement are major components.
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday is hosting the first National Cancer Moonshot Summit on the campus of Howard University in Washington, and lots of news is being made.
Granted, there was the usual complement of cheerleading and optimism, as some observed.
It was a great big pep rally today for the #CancerMoonshot https://t.co/D3VxHYMrYZ
— Maggie Fox (@maggiemfox) June 29, 2016
"We're on the cusp of breakthroughs," says VP Biden. #CancerMoonshot #CanServe pic.twitter.com/mdwNrMB5jT
— Inspire (@InspireIsHealth) June 29, 2016
But there also was plenty of substance.
It wouldn’t be a major event anymore without IBM Watson Health announcing something, would it? This time, Watson is teaming with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to bring precision medicine to 10,000 veterans with cancer over the next two years.
According to IBM:
Scientists and pathologists will sequence DNA for cancer patients, then feed de-identified genetic alteration files into Watson. Watson will generate a report for physicians that identifies the likely cancer-causing mutations and possible treatment options to target those specific mutations through a comprehensive review of existing medical literature – a data-intensive process that has been time-consuming and difficult to scale in the past.
DocGraph, a startup run by health data scientist Fred Trotter, said it would work with analytics firm CareSet Systems to release a data set on nearly 1 million cancer patients, based on the vast Medicare claims database.
The University of California, the Athena Breast Health Network, Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative and Salesforce said they would develop a new care model that, according to Biden’s office, “evolves the point of care into a patient-centric data hub.”
The White House also highlighted other, recently announced initiatives. These include:
- The Oncology Precision Network (OPeN), sponsored by Syapse, in conjunciton with Intermountain Healthcare, Stanford Cancer Institute, Providence Health & Services, Catholic Health Initiatives and Henry Ford Health System.
- A bioinformatics lab for pediatric cancer research, backed by Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.
See this White House fact sheet on the Cancer Moonshot Summit for more information.
Photo: Twitter user ivy science
