The Give Kids a Chance Act is a bill that aims to encourage clinical trials that use combinations of drugs for kids with cancer.
To date, testing new pediatric cancer treatments has not been a priority for the pharmaceutical industry because there is more potential revenue in treating adult cancers. The Give Kids a Chance Act would ensure that drug combinations being studied to treat adults with cancer are also studied in children.
The Act would also allow the FDA to evaluate new kids’ cancer treatments in combination rather than as single-agent studies. This is critical because drugs used on their own are less likely to benefit kids with cancer and control their disease.
Colorado Senator Michael Bennet introduced the bill in May in Congress alongside Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. “Cancer doctors and medical professionals should have every tool at their disposal to treat kids who are battling pediatric cancer,” said Senator Bennet. “Our bipartisan legislation will make sure cutting-edge trials and combination therapies are available to treat this disease and improve outcomes for our kids.” Senator Rubio decried the “outdated bureaucratic hurdles” that stifle innovation and prevent life-saving treatments from getting to kids who need them.
Dr. Adam Green, an oncologist and researcher in the Morgan Adams Foundation Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Program at the University of Colorado and Children’s Hospital Colorado, was interviewed by Lancet Oncology and echoed his support for this important legislation:
“The Give Kids a Chance Act is a crucial step in finding better treatments for children with cancer that will save more lives. We know from past experience that combinations of medicines are needed to cure childhood cancers, since these diseases can quickly become resistant to single medications. This Act will help us safely and efficiently get those treatments to the young patients who need them. I am grateful to Senators Bennet and Rubio for leading this effort, and I would urge their fellow legislators to support this act that will deliver hope to the children and families who need it most.”
Join The Morgan Adams Foundation in endorsing the Give Kids a Chance Act! Learn more about how you can support this important legislation for kids and teens with cancer at www.givekidsachanceact.org
To read the text of the Give Kids a Chance Act (S.4215) and see updates, click here.