As COVID-19 continues to spread across the world, cancer patients, their doctors and families are struggling to find more information about how COVID-19 could affect them. From what is currently reported, cancer patients are a highly vulnerable group but we do not know yet how vulnerable. We know that cancer and cancer treatments can weaken a patient’s immune systems but there are not many data points, nor test results yet. What is most needed today is collaboration and openness. UACT signed this Open Letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) and its Member States on the proposal by Costa Rica to create a global poolRead More →

The Hill (TheHill.com) is an American political news website, based in Washington, D.C. which focuses on politics, policy, business and international relations. The Hill’s coverage includes the U.S. Congress, the presidency, and election campaigns. On its website, The Hill is described as standing “alone in delivering solid, nonpartisan reporting on the inner workings of Congress and the nexus of politics and business. The newspaper and its online platform connect the political players, define the issues, and influence the way Washington’s decision-makers view the debate.” On October 9, 2019, The Hill published an article by Peter Sullivan titled “2020 Democrats embrace aggressive step on drug prices.”Read More →

DATE: Thursday May 9, 2019 RE: Civil Society Open Letter Regarding Harmful Changes to WHA Transparency Resolution 9 May 2019 – Today more than 100 civil society organizations and health experts sent an open letter to World Health Organization (WHO) Member State delegates urging them to oppose harmful proposed changes to the draft World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution on transparency to be discussed at the 72nd WHA on May 20-28, 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. The groups and individuals signing the open letter said they were appalled at proposals put forth at informal negotiations at the WHO on Tuesday May 7, 2019, which, “would make thisRead More →

24 April 2019 – Today the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST) released its Green Paper on Return on Public Investment. The Union for Affordable Cancer Treatment (UACT) strongly opposes this push by the Trump Administration to hamstring patient safeguards ensuring equitable and affordable access to medicines. A draft Green Paper published on December 6, 2018 included proposals designed to narrow and even eliminate important safeguards in the Bayh-Dole Act. Those damaging proposals remained in the final publication. The NIST proposals will harm patients seeking access to treatment and will instead protect the pharmaceutical companies that sell expensive drugs, vaccines, diagnosticRead More →

In December 2018, the National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST) (a part of the Department of Commerce) published a draft Green Paper, titled “Return on Investment Initiative for Unleashing American Innovation” (NIST Special Publication 1234). A copy of the draft Green Paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1234 The draft Green Paper was published after the launch of an April 2018 initiative, “Unleashing American Innovation Symposium” and followed four public hearings and a request for comments noticed on May 1, 2018 (83 FR 19052). The initial comment period closed July 30, 2018. UACT drafted a letter to raise the alarm in members of Congress that anRead More →