WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) issued the following statement today about the University of Kansas Cancer Center's (KUCC) pursuit of National Cancer Institute (NCI) Designation:

"I am very optimistic about the announcement KU will be making on July 12th, and I know it will not only be great news for the university and Kansas City, but also a fantastic development for the entire state of Kansas and the region. Achieving NCI Designation would dramatically enhance KU Cancer Center’s ability to discover, develop and deliver innovative treatments to patients and enable the Center to recruit the best and brightest researchers to our state. It would also help Kansas’ development into a thriving medical research powerhouse and attract thousands of jobs and billions of dollars to our state’s economy. I am proud to have supported the Center’s pursuit of this designation from the early stages and look forward to the announcement on July 12."

In September 2011, KUCC formally applied to the NCI to become an NCI-Designated Cancer Center. NCI is a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and our nation’s principal agency for cancer research and training, focusing on turning laboratory discoveries into new treatments for cancer patients. There are currently 66 NCI-Designated Cancer Centers across the country and none in Kansas. 

One of Sen. Moran’s highest priorities has been to ensure KUCC attains NCI Designation and fulfills its mission regarding cancer research and patient treatment. He supported KUCC’s application in September 2011 by including a letter of support in the Center’s official application to NCI. Sen. Moran also attended KUCC’s official NCI site visit on February 22, 2012, where he spoke to NCI scientists to express his full and ongoing commitment to KUCC in its pursuit of NCI Designation. Additionally, Sen. Moran has met with Dr. Harold Varmus, Director of NCI, to learn more about the Institute’s cancer research programs and operations.

As a member of the Senate Appropriations health subcommittee, Sen. Moran offered an amendment last year to prevent a reduction in the NIH and NCI budgets for FY2012. The amendment was fully offset and would have prioritized medical research without adding to our nation’s annual deficit. Earlier this month, Sen. Moran offered a similar amendment to significantly boost the NIH budget for FY2013, which was also fully offset.