The Global Work of the Biden Cancer Moonshot
While the immediate goals of the Biden Cancer Moonshot are domestic, focused on preventing more than 4 million American cancer deaths by 2047, the ambitions of our work to end cancer as we know it extend far beyond U.S. borders. No one nation can solve this problem but, together, we can develop and share new ways to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer and collaborate to ease the burden on patients and their loved ones, particularly for low- and middle-income countries that experience a disproportionate number of global cancer deaths.
That is why the global work of the Biden Cancer Moonshot focuses on equity and accessibility to increase prevention, early detection, screening, treatment, and care for everyone facing cancer.
Global Cancer Moonshot Progress
- April 2024 – The FDA Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) launched Project Asha – a new initiative in collaboration with the Biden Cancer Moonshot Program to increase oncology clinical trial access in India. While India accounts for nearly 20% of the global population, only 1.5% of global trials are conducted in India. Diverse multiregional global trials participation not only better reflects the racially and ethnically diverse US population, but globalization of research also has immense public health, economic, social, and ethical implications.
- March 2024 – The United States and Sweden signed an Implementing Arrangement on Cancer under the Bilateral Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology. This renewed agreement will further inclusion and precision in cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and care, as well as opportunities for funding bilateral collaboration.
- February 2024 – The U.S. Mission in Australia announced their efforts to launch a U.S.-Australia Cancer Alliance to strengthen research and collaboration between the two countries. This initiative will advance research, share best practices, and improve the lives of people with cancer, survivors, and their families.
- January 2024 – The Biden Cancer Moonshot hosted the first White House Cervical Cancer Forum which brought together experts to spur action on a number of global topics including strategies to boost HPV vaccination rates domestically and globally and building a blueprint for a global campaign to reduce the burden of cervical cancer in low- and middle-income countries.
- January 2024 – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced it will support the integration of existing HPV vaccine services with the Go Further Partnership to End AIDS and Cervical Cancer, the DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe) public-private partnership, and orphans and vulnerable children programs to prevent cervical cancer and HIV transmission at an early stage, and to enhance comprehensive access to cervical cancer screening and treatment services for women and girls.
- December 2023 – The Cancer Moonshot participated in the inaugural Next Generation Critical and Emerging Technologies (CET) Dialogue with the Republic of Korea, to strengthen cancer cooperation between the two countries, including implementing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Korean National Cancer Center and the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI).
- September 2023 – The Biden-Harris Administration released a report developed through a UK-U.S. Cancer Summit, providing opportunities for the countries to work together to improve health outcomes. The U.K. and U.S. scientific summit was held in November 2021 and focused on identifying transformative research grand challenges and ways to resolve barriers to progress in cancer research – including prevention and early detection, delivering faster and better new treatments and interventions, and working with patients and their families to deepen the understanding of cancer.
- August 2023 – The NCI and the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social of Costa Rica renewed an MOU to reaffirm the 30-year bilateral collaboration and commitment to cervical cancer prevention research.
- June 2023 – President Biden and Prime Minister Modi announced the inaugural U.S.-India Cancer Dialogue and public and private sector commitments to reduce the burden of cancer in India through the Cancer Moonshot. For many years, the United States has partnered with India to meet shared health challenges. Despite concrete progress on improving well-being, noncommunicable diseases, including cancer, account for about 63 percent of all deaths in India. And cancer cases are estimated to increase by nearly 13 percent in 2025, compared to 2020.
- May 2023 – The United States joined six partners to sign the G7 Cancer MOU to Strengthen Coordination to Accelerate Progress Against Cancer Worldwide. This group aims to strengthen cooperation between partners to accelerate the fight against the disease, and in particular to address the most complex challenges
- May 2023 – The United States and the European Union formed expert working groups around lung and pediatric cancers as part of the EU-US Health Task Force. This collaboration aims to facilitate peer-learning, exchange best practices, and advise on the development of possible joint initiatives to improve cancer outcomes across the globe. The goal is to promote the establishment of a new structured dialogue on cancer, addressing both cancer policies and research collaborations.
- Spring 2023 – NCI renewed partnerships with Australia, Canada, Germany, Taiwan, Japan, Sweden and Republic of Korea. These partnerships, through MOUs to the NCI Cancer Moonshot International Cancer Proteogenome Consortium (ICPC), affirms a commitment to accelerate our understanding of how proteins and genes (proteogenomics) contribute to an individual’s cancer and better inform patient care.
- December 2022 – The First Lady and Second Gentleman hosted a spousal event as part of the African Leaders Summit in December 2022, where they announced commitments from across U.S. departments and agencies and the private sector of more than $300 million to improve cancer outcomes in Africa. These efforts include strengthening domestic public health infrastructure, building resilient health systems, investing in health workers (see more here), as well as funding for robust and impactful initiatives across the African continent on cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and research.
- June 2022 – The United States has made funding commitments to improve cancer care globally. This includes investing $7.5 million in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s flagship program Ray of Hope, designed to help countries fight cancer with radiation safety, infrastructure, and equipment, bringing our total contributions to this initiative to more than $47 million.
Fact Sheets and Joint Statements
India
“The U.S. National Cancer Institute will foster collaboration between U.S. and Indian scientists through two new grants to develop an artificial-intelligence (AI)-enabled digital pathology platform. This platform will be utilized for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of therapeutic benefit, as well as AI-based automated radiotherapy treatment for cancers of the cervix, head, and neck. The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases will also sign an agreement with the Indian Council of Medical Research to further basic, clinical, and translational research on diabetes. The United States and India will hold a U.S.-India Cancer Dialogue, hosted by President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot, to bring experts together from both countries to identify concrete areas of collaboration to accelerate the rate of progress against cancer.”
“The U.S. National Cancer Institute will foster collaboration between U.S. and Indian scientists through two new grants to develop an artificial-intelligence (AI)-enabled digital pathology platform. This platform will be utilized for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of therapeutic benefit, as well as AI-based automated radiotherapy treatment for cancers of the cervix, head, and neck. The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases will also sign an agreement with the Indian Council of Medical Research to further basic, clinical, and translational research on diabetes. The United States and India will hold a U.S.-India Cancer Dialogue, hosted by President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot, to bring experts together from both countries to identify concrete areas of collaboration to accelerate the rate of progress against cancer.”
Trilateral with South Korea and Japan
“The United States, Japan, and the ROK committed to reinvigorate trilateral cooperation on the U.S. Cancer Moonshot, beginning with a trilateral cancer dialogue, led by high-level representatives from their respective national cancer institutes. This new initiative builds on a trilateral meeting of health experts that then-Vice President Biden hosted in 2016. The dialogue would enhance cooperation in the sharing of epidemiological data, research, exchange programs, clinical trials, regulations, academic partnerships, and the development of cutting-edge cancer therapies.”
“The United States, Japan, and the ROK committed to reinvigorate trilateral cooperation on the U.S. Cancer Moonshot, beginning with a trilateral cancer dialogue, led by high-level representatives from their respective national cancer institutes. This new initiative builds on a trilateral meeting of health experts that then-Vice President Biden hosted in 2016. The dialogue would enhance cooperation in the sharing of epidemiological data, research, exchange programs, clinical trials, regulations, academic partnerships, and the development of cutting-edge cancer therapies.”
US-Africa Partnership in Health Cooperation
“The United States is committed to working together with African governments to reduce the rising burden of cancer, as we collectively work towards the President’s vision of ending cancer as we know it. With this shared responsibility, U.S. agencies drive and support impactful initiatives with African partners, including the design and implementation of pragmatic technological interventions, support for research centers, providing access to cancer prevention, early detection and treatment, clinical trial development and strengthening institutional capacity for global cancer research in Africa with a goal to diversify the global cancer research workforce. Africa is a critical partner as we work together to develop new and innovative solutions to prevent, detect and treat cancer. Efforts to strengthen health systems and public health infrastructure, as well as investments by the private sector, will also help end cancer as we know it.”
“The United States is committed to working together with African governments to reduce the rising burden of cancer, as we collectively work towards the President’s vision of ending cancer as we know it. With this shared responsibility, U.S. agencies drive and support impactful initiatives with African partners, including the design and implementation of pragmatic technological interventions, support for research centers, providing access to cancer prevention, early detection and treatment, clinical trial development and strengthening institutional capacity for global cancer research in Africa with a goal to diversify the global cancer research workforce. Africa is a critical partner as we work together to develop new and innovative solutions to prevent, detect and treat cancer. Efforts to strengthen health systems and public health infrastructure, as well as investments by the private sector, will also help end cancer as we know it.”
Indonesia
“The United States welcomes and supports Indonesia’s Declaration on Cervical Cancer Elimination through the National Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan (2023 to 2030) and the two governments reiterate their shared intent to eliminate the incidence of cervical cancer.”
“The United States welcomes and supports Indonesia’s Declaration on Cervical Cancer Elimination through the National Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan (2023 to 2030) and the two governments reiterate their shared intent to eliminate the incidence of cervical cancer.”
Japan
“In alignment with the Biden Cancer Moonshot to end cancer as we know it, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) intend to collaborate and exchange information on oncology drug products. Specifically, under initiatives Project Nozomi and Project Orbis, FDA and PMDA will work to enable earlier access to cancer medication for patients and hold discussions on future drug development, including multiregional clinical trials and ways to prevent drug shortages.”
“In alignment with the Biden Cancer Moonshot to end cancer as we know it, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) intend to collaborate and exchange information on oncology drug products. Specifically, under initiatives Project Nozomi and Project Orbis, FDA and PMDA will work to enable earlier access to cancer medication for patients and hold discussions on future drug development, including multiregional clinical trials and ways to prevent drug shortages.”
The United Kingdom
“We will convene the first U.S.– U.K. Bilateral Cancer Summit and bring together researchers, patients, and other stakeholders to share ideas and identify opportunities for collaboration to accelerate advances in lifesaving approaches to cancer, which remains a leading cause of death worldwide.”
“We will convene the first U.S.– U.K. Bilateral Cancer Summit and bring together researchers, patients, and other stakeholders to share ideas and identify opportunities for collaboration to accelerate advances in lifesaving approaches to cancer, which remains a leading cause of death worldwide.”
