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The
miracles of modern science have brought astounding
knowledge about diseases, but far too few cures.
The American Center for Cures (ACC) will open a new
pathway to discovery and focus on the single most
important goal that we have for our loved ones with
an illness: CURES.
Americans have been incredibly generous. We have
supported hundreds of billions of dollars of medical
research. Now is the time for our national priority
to focus on the application of research to prevent
and cure disease.
The ACC is not a replacement or in competition with
the National Institutes for Health (NIH) or the
National Cancer Institute (NCI), it is
complementary. It is critical to increase the
funding of the NIH and NCI, but Congress must
independently fund the ACC to focus on cures.
The
American Center for Cures will be led by a
Presidential Cabinet-level Director who will report
to President and be responsible to the American people
for focusing our resources on finding cures. A Cures Council comprised of visionary
scientists, doctors and other American leaders will
thoughtfully choose diseases for the ACC to focus
on. Two determining factors may be Impact on Americans and
likelihood of cures. The research will be mission-driven and
cures oriented.
Despite extraordinary technological and scientific
advances, and the tremendous work of American
scientists, almost the same percentage of Americans will
die of cancer in 2008 as in 1950. In addition to
the human toll - more than 150 million Americans
suffer from diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s,
Parkinson’s, Diabetes, AIDS, Cystic Fibrosis,
Multiple Sclerosis, and many psychiatric disorders
- we spend over two trillion dollars each year
treating disease. The time has come to end the
hopelessness. Let's stop treating symptoms and find
a true pathway to cures.
We need an
American Center for Cures which will have a
Manhattan-Project / Moon-Shot sense of urgency. The
Center's success will be measured solely by finding
cures.
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