Biden Cancer Moonshot Launches Private Sector Pilot Program for Pediatric Cancer Medications

On Oct. 28, the Biden Cancer Moonshot is announced a new private sector pilot program to maintain uninterrupted access to seven pre-selected critical pediatric cancer medications. Pilot participants will develop stewardship standards focused on identifying shortage risks, promoting transparent inventory awareness, and fostering an effective approach to prevent patient care disruptions and maintain consistent drug distribution to children and families facing cancer.

The pilot will launch before the end of the year and run into 2025. At the end of the pilot, the End Drug Shortages Alliance will publish a report on the pilot, including key learnings and opportunities to scale. The End Drug Shortages Alliance will coordinate participating health care providers, including Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Children’s National Hospital, Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Texas Children’s Hospital; pharmaceutical wholesalers, Cencora and Morris & Dickson; and advising partners Angels for Change, Children’s Hospital Association, and US Pharmacopeia.

 This pilot program builds on the work the Biden Cancer Moonshot has led to ensure that children and families facing cancer have equitable resources and access to diagnosis, treatment, research, and survivorship care. As part of the Biden Cancer Moonshot, the Biden-Harris Administration revived the White House Childhood Cancer Forum, backed and then the President signed the Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act to increase funding for childhood cancer research, and the Administration is actively working to implement the Research to Accelerate Cures and Equity or RACE for Children Act to identify and approve precision pediatric drugs quickly.

 Most recently, in recognition of September as National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the Biden Cancer Moonshot hosted the White House Roundtable on State Advocacy for Childhood Cancer, bringing together a diverse set of federal and state policymakers, health care experts, and childhood cancer advocates from across the country. Roundtable participants developed strategies and shared best practices that maximize state programs like cancer control plans and Medicaid to deliver new resources and support for families facing childhood cancer and developed plans to implement successful strategies to improve childhood cancer outcomes.