Protect Funding for Lung Cancer and ALK-positive Cancer Research

ATLANTA, February 20, 2025 – The ALK Positive organization stands with patients, families, healthcare providers, researchers, and the broader medical community in our mission to increase survival for those at risk, diagnosed, and living with ALK-positive cancer.  

We are deeply concerned with the devastating impact that severely and suddenly reducing the budget of the National Institute of Health (NIH) will have on medical research across our country. The termination of employees at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the NIH, as well as limiting indirect costs for scientific grants, will impede critical scientific advances that ALL cancer patients need – ultimately endangering public health.  

On January 27, 2025, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memorandum freezing funding for thousands of federal programs, jeopardizing scientific research, and endangering public health. Thanks to the swift legal action taken by large nonprofits, public health professionals, and small businesses, the funding freeze was rescinded. However, despite this reversal, we remain deeply concerned about ongoing proposals to change government rules that could have highly detrimental consequences for our community. Federal funding for lung cancer research has driven critical advancements in prevention, early detection, and treatment—contributing to a significant decline in overall lung cancer mortality in the U.S.  

The fact that so many of us with ALK-positive cancer are still alive is a result of scientific research that was funded directly by NIH grants. Research that led to the currently FDA approved TKIs, identification of TKI resistance mechanisms and new therapies for TKI resistance in clinical trials. 

These benefits extend far beyond lung cancer alone. The NIH, the world’s largest public funder of medical research, has played a crucial role in saving lives, extending lifespans, and providing hope for patients everywhere. NIH funding also fuels job creation and strengthens the economy. Cutting this support would do far more harm to everyday Americans than any perceived benefit to the government budget. 
The ALK Positive organization is dedicated to promoting and protecting cancer research, which is vital to ensuring that people with our disease have the opportunity to lead long, fulfilling lives.  

As this situation evolves, we are actively determining how we can best support the ALK-positive research community.  
It is more critical than ever that our voices are heard. We must urge policymakers to stand with Americans affected by lung cancer—the patients, families, healthcare providers, and advocates working tirelessly to improve lives. We cannot afford for politics to delay progress in scientific breakthroughs or restrict access to lifesaving care.  

-Board of Directors, ALK Positive