Through consistent advocacy efforts, GO2 Foundation (formerly Lung Cancer Alliance) established the Lung Cancer Research Program (LCRP) within the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, administered by the Department of Defense with federal appropriations of $20 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2009.
LCRP has been underfunded the past 10 years, below its original $20 million dollars level. Congress must restore the funding level back to $20 million this year.
Since FY09 and through FY18, the program has been funded at a total $141.5 million, making this the second largest lung cancer research program—public or private—outside of the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health. The funding of this program has resulted in 250 projects thus far.
Multiple LCRP-funded projects have led to active clinical trials testing new therapies for lung cancer, including new immunotherapies and novel types of precision medicines for patients with specific genetic changes in their lung cancer.
Applications for funding under the Lung Cancer Research Program have grown steadily every year –a sure sign of success in attracting more researchers. For FY18, 358 compliant applications were received, but given the allocations, only 28 projects could be recommended to go forward. For that reason, we are asking Congress to restore the full funding of $20 million for the Lung Cancer Research Program in FY20.
Please join our $20 Million by 2020 Campaign to urge your House Representative and your Senators on the importance of the lung cancer program, the success of its cutting edge research and the need for additional funding to match the increasing requests by researchers and to reach the goal and vision of reducing lung cancer deaths.
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