Martinos Center Newsletter - June 2016

MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

I wanted to bring to your attention two things.  First, the Center’s event on the longest day of year to support and raise awareness for Alzheimer’s research.  Please see here for more details about the event.  A lot of your colleagues at the Center have worked hard to organize this event and your support would be greatly appreciated.  Second, this past week the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee today approved a FY2017 funding bill.  Below are some of the highlights that are particularly relevant to our business.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

The agreement funds the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at $76.9 billion, a $1.4 billion increase above FY2016, including cap adjustments. As it did in FY2016, the subcommittee provides a $2 billion increase in FY2017 for the National Institutes of Health to advance research on precision medicine, Alzheimer’s disease, the BRAIN Initiative and other ailments.  The bill also includes a $126 million increase over FY2016 funding for programs targeted at fighting opioid abuse.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) – $34 billion, an increase of $2 billion above FY2016.  The bill includes:

• $300 million for the Precision Medicine Initiative, an increase of $100 million;
• $1.39 billion for Alzheimer’s disease research, an increase of $400 million;
• $250 million, an increase of $100 million, for the BRAIN Initiative to map the human brain;
• $333.4 million, an increase of $12.5 million, for the Institutional Development Award;
• $463 million, an increase of $50 million, to Combat Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria;
• $12.6 million for the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act;
• Increases to every Institute and Center to continue investments in innovative research that will advance fundamental knowledge and speed the development of new therapies, diagnostics, and preventive measures to improve the health of all Americans.

Fighting Opioid Abuse – $261 million, an increase of $126 million or 93 percent, for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Health Resources and Services Administration programs targeted to combat opioid abuse.  According to CDC, sales from prescription opioids nearly quadrupled between 1999 and 2014.  There has been a corresponding increase in deaths from prescription opioids, claiming more than 165,000 lives.

Specifically, the bill provides a $28 million increase for CDC Prescription Drug Overdose program, a $49 million increase to SAMHSA for treatment, prevention, and overdose reversal, and $50 million for Community Health Center treatment and prevention.  Further, the bill continues to provide $1.9 billion for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant, $94 million in mandatory funds to Community Health Centers, and provides an additional $52.5 million to the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the NIH.

Mental Health – $80 million increase above FY2016.  The bill provides $541.5 million, an increase of $30 million above FY2016, for the Mental Health Block Grant and continues the set-aside for serious mental illness activities at 10 percent.  The Block Grants represent the primary sources of mental health funding for state programs. The bill also provides $50 million within the funding for CHCs to provide mental health services at health centers across the country.

Rural Health Care – $152.6 million, an increase of $3 million above FY2016, for rural health programs.  The obstacles faced by patients and providers in rural communities are unique and often significantly different than those in urban areas.  Therefore, the bill focuses resources toward efforts and programs to help rural communities, such as telehealth.

Cancer Prevention and Control – $356.2 million, level with FY2016. This includes funding for breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate cancer screening programs, which the Administration proposed to cut by more than $54 million.

Public Health Preparedness and Response – The bill does not include the President’s cuts to critical preparedness and response activities and maintains FY2016 levels for these activities:

• Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) – $511.7 million.  BARDA is responsible for advanced research and development of medical countermeasures for national preparedness efforts.
• Project BioShield – $510 million, $160 million above the President’s request, to enhance national preparedness activities by procuring medical countermeasures against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.

Regards,
Bill Shaw

NRM2016

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