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# FDA, NIH and NCI on ‘Cancer Moonshot’ Task Force
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/fda-nih-and-nci-on-cancer-moonshot-task-force/
- Published: 2016-01-29T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-15T02:31:53.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: Drugs, #legacy-id-D5134612

> The White House has established a Cancer Moonshot Task Force to be led by vice president **Joe Biden**, with representatives from 13 government agencies, including FDA, National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute. President Obama pledged a moonshot-type effort to cure cancer during his State of the Union address earlier this month. Biden’s son Beau died of brain cancer last year.  
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> According to a [task force memo](https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/01/28/memorandum-white-house-cancer-moonshot-task-force?ref=fdaweb.com), the group will “focus on making the most of Federal investments, targeted incentives, private sector efforts from industry and philanthropy, patient engagement initiatives, and other mechanisms to support cancer research and enable progress in treatment and care...The Task Force shall work with a wide array of executive departments and agencies that have responsibility for key issues related to basic, translational, and clinical research, therapy development, regulation of medical products, and medical care related to cancer.”  
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> Obama says the task force’s functions are “advisory only and shall include, but shall not be limited to, producing a detailed set of findings and recommendations to:  
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> (a) accelerate our understanding of cancer, and its prevention, early detection, treatment, and cure;  
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> (b) improve patient access and care;  
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> (c) support greater access to new research, data, and computational capabilities;  
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> (d) encourage development of cancer treatments;  
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> (e) identify and address any unnecessary regulatory barriers and consider ways to expedite administrative reforms;  
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> (f) ensure optimal investment of Federal resources; and  
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> (g) identify opportunities to develop public-private partnerships and increase coordination of the Federal Government's efforts with the private sector, as appropriate.”  
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> The task force is expected to provide the president a report before 12/31 on its findings and recommendations, which will be posted on the Internet.