Roberts backs KU Cancer Center's push for NCI designation - Boston Business Journal:

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Roberts, R-Kan., spoke at The ’s Westwood medicalk building. He said that it now takes 10 yeara to 17 yearsand $1 billion to bringv a new drug to market, which Robert called a “national disgrace.” The National Cancer Institute said in November that the KU Cancer Center has a Sept. 25, application date for its efforts to get aninitial five-year designation as an NCI cancer The months-long application process for institutions seekin new designations begins with submission of documentatiojn that sometimes exceeds 1,000 pages and includes a site visirt and other steps. The earliest that KU Canced Center’s application could be approved is the spring of 2012.
Nationwide, 64 cancer centers receive Cancer Centerd Support Grants to support research to reducethe incidence, morbidity and mortalityt rates of cancer. There are 23 cance centers and 41 comprehensivescancer centers. The KU Cancer Center is part of , which is the medicall research and education arm of the University of NCIdesignation — KU’s No. 1 priority typically is granted to academic medical centers. Therefore, KU Medical Center is the entityh that will apply forNCI designation. • Increases regional patient accessto cutting-edge clinical trials. • More than $1.3 billionb in annual economic benefits inthe region.
An increase in KU Cancer Center’z annual NCI financing from thecurrent $7.5 million to abouft $40 million. NCI-affiliated institutions also attract world-classd researchers who bring NCI grants with and part of the estimated increase is baseon that. Many of these researchers doubleas clinicians, adding expertise and depth in various cancer-care sub-specialties.