House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) hailed the announcement on Tuesday of the Accelerating Medicines Partnership, a five-year collaboration between the National Institutes of Health and private pharmaceutical companies.
The Accelerating Medicines Partnership’s mission will be to make breakthroughs regarding Alzheimer’s disease, Type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, with the overall objective being to find better treatments and cures for the diseases.
“The search for cures must be an all-hands-on-deck effort,” Upton said. “This landmark effort exemplifies the very best of a public-private collaboration, and we in Congress also want to do what we can in the name of breakthrough research.”
Under the agreement, which has a price tag of approximately $230 million, the NIH and participating companies will share scientists, blood and tissue samples and data to form a research system that will lead to a greater understanding of the diseases.
“Healthcare is first and foremost about providing the highest quality of care for patients, and this ultimately means greater innovation and more medical breakthroughs from our nation’s top minds,” Upton said. “I applaud the leadership and initiative of all those involved in the Accelerating Medicines Partnership and am hopeful that their work will lead to more cures and treatments for patients and more peace of mind for families affected by those diseases.”