OCTOBER 2009
CONGRESS EXTENDS DEADLINE TO PASS FY2010 SPENDING BILLS
Decisions on NIH funding postponed
With fiscal year 2009 funding set to expire at midnight on Sept. 30 and no agreement on FY2010 funding priorities, Congress adopted a stopgap continuing resolution to keep programs operating at existing levels until Oct. 31. Read more
OBAMA VISITS NIH TO TOUT $5 BILLION IN RESEARCH GRANTS
Underscores administration's commitment to biomedical research
President Obama, along with Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Kathleen Sebelius, visited the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently to call attention to $5 billion in research grants that has been awarded in recent weeks to more than 12,000 projects around the country. Read more
AACR TASK FORCE WEIGHS IN ON FDA REGULATION OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS
Submits comments on the agency's new regulatory authority over tobacco
The AACR Task Force on Tobacco and Cancer recently prepared and submitted comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the implementation of the historic Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA). Read more
BAN ON FLAVORED CIGARETTES GOES INTO EFFECT
Menthol cigarettes and other flavored tobacco products unaffected
As of Sept. 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the distribution, manufacture and importation of candy, fruit, or spice-flavored tobacco products. Read more
STIMULUS DOLLARS SUPPORTING CANCER RESEARCH
National Cancer Institute awarding funds nationwide
Fiscal year 2009 drew to a close on Sept. 30, leaving the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with one more year to make decisions and allocate $10.4 billion in short-term funds it received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Read more
NIH NAMES PANEL OF EXPERTS TO REVIEW ELIGIBILITY OF STEM CELL LINES FOR FEDERAL RESEARCH
Agency now accepting submissions for stem cell lines to be added to NIH registry
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced the formation of a new working group charged with evaluating applications for new human embryonic stem cell lines to be used in federally funded research. Read more
RESEARCHERS BEHIND BREAKTHROUGH CANCER DRUG, GLEEVEC, HONORED WITH LASKER AWARD
New York mayor and stem cell scientists also recognized
One of the most prestigious prizes in medicine was awarded this year to the trio of researchers behind the development of Gleevec, a novel treatment that converted chronic myeloid leukemia from a fatal disease into a manageable condition. Read more
HARKIN ASSUMES LEADERSHIP OF KEY HEALTH COMMITTEE
Senator in position to guide oversight, creation, and funding of health care and research programs
Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa recently assumed the chairmanship of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, the position long held by the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Read more
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