Obama promotes bipartisan cures bill

                                                     

President Barack Obama on Saturday touted the 21st Century Cures Act, a bill that would potentially expedite Alzheimer's and cancer research in the near future.

During his weekly White House address, Obama encouraged the Senate to pass the bill without obstruction and praised the bipartisan support that it received in the House.

"Right now we have the chance to put our best minds to work one more time – and in a big way," Obama said.

"There’s a bill in Congress that could help unlock cures Alzheimer’s, end cancer as we know it, and help people seeking treatment for opioid addiction finally get the help they need. It’s called the 21st Century Cures Act. It’s an opportunity to save lives, and an opportunity we just can’t miss."

The president then went on to outline some of the core functions of the 21st Century Cures Act, including major stimulus in the fields of brain research, cancer prevention and combating heroin addiction.

"First, it will make real investments this year to combat the heroin and prescription drug epidemic that’s plaguing so many of our communities," Obama said.

Second, "This bill will allow us to invest in promising new therapies, in new ways to detect and prevent cancer, and to develop more vaccines for cancer just as we have them for measles or mumps," said the president, while lauding Vice-president Joe Biden's "moonshot" initiative.

Third, the bill will provide researchers the tolls they need to "help identify ways to treat, cure, and prevent all kinds of brain disorders."

Alongside the latter functions, the president also promised that the bill includes "bipartisan mental health reforms" and instructions for the Food and Drug Administration to "incorporates patients’ voices" into their decision making mechanisms.

Obama said he hopes the Senate follows the House's lead in passing the measure.

"I’ll sign it as soon as it reaches my desk, because like a lot of you, I’ve lost people I love to cancer.  I hear every day from Americans whose loved ones are suffering from addiction and other debilitating diseases.  And I believe we should seize every chance we have to find cures as soon as possible.  When it’s your family, hope can’t come soon enough," Obama said.