April 2007 Advocacy Update

Stem Cell Research Bill Passes Senate
As widely expected, the Senate passed its version of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (S. 5) on Wednesday evening by a vote of 63 to 34. The Society thanks all those who participated in recent advocacy campaigns on this issue.

Though originally identical to H.R. 3, which passed the House in January, S. 5 was slightly modified prior to a vote by the full Senate. In addition to including the provisions contained in the House bill, S. 5 also includes language requiring the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to pursue other forms of stem cell research and to research and fund methods of creating embryonic stem cell lines without destroying embryos.

The Senate also considered and passed a bill sponsored by Senators Norm Coleman (R-MN) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) (S. 30, the Hope Offered through Principled and Ethical Stem Cell Research Act). ASH did not endorse this bill because it will permanently limit federal funding on embryonic stem cell research. Coleman and Isakson have argued that their bill would allow stem cell lines derived from so-called "dead embryos" to be eligible for federally funded research but, in fact, the bill would not alter the prohibition against federally funded research on stem cell lines derived after August 9, 2001. For additional information on S. 5 and S. 30, please see the "Myths and Facts" document about the bills on the ASH Web site.

The House and Senate must negotiate a final bill because of differences between H.R. 3 and S. 5 before sending the bill to the president, who has indicated that he will once again veto this legislation, setting the stage for a possible vote in the Senate to override the presidential veto. ASH will keep you apprised of all developments on this issue.

FY 2008 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Funding Update; Grassroots Advocacy Needed
The House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees are set to continue the process of drafting the bills that will fund federal departments, agencies, and programs for fiscal year (FY) 2008.

ASH and the biomedical research community continue to advocate for an increase of 6.7 percent for FY 2008 over the final FY 2007 levels, despite a proposed budget form the White House for FY 2008 that includes proposed cuts totaling $310 million for NIH. Grassroots advocacy by researchers around the country is necessary to ensure hematologic research is adequately funded at NIH. For more information about FY 2008 NIH funding and to participate in ASH's most recent online advocacy campaign, please visit the ASH Advocacy Center.

In the Senate, Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-PA) will continue to hold a series of hearings specifically targeted at examining funding for the NIH during which the directors of the various Institutes at NIH will have the opportunity to testify about the ongoing activities at their Institute. The next of these hearings is scheduled for Friday, April 20, 2007, and will include testimony by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Director, Griffin Rodgers; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Director, Elizabeth Nabel; and National Institute on Aging (NIA) Director, Richard Hodes.

Meanwhile, President Bush issued a proclamation designating April as "Cancer Control Month" with the purpose of creating "an opportunity to educate all Americans about cancer, to raise awareness about treatments, and to renew our commitment to fighting this deadly disease." The president noted in his proclamation that, while great strides have been made in combating cancer in recent years, millions of Americans continue to live with the disease, and it remains the second leading cause of death in the United States. While ASH welcomes the president's announcement, the Society believes that essential to fighting cancer is a commitment to providing federal funding of the NIH to support cancer research. Please visit the ASH Advocacy Center and join us in urging Congress to provide the NIH with adequate funding in the coming year.

NHLBI Releases Final Strategic Plan
NHLBI has released the final version of its strategic plan, which it hopes will guide research methods and priorities at the Institute in the coming years. NHLBI responded to ASH comments on the importance of RO1 grants and reiterated its commitment to investigator-initiated research. Unfortunately, NHLBI did not address ASH's concerns about linking Centers of Excellence to CTSAs, but ASH leadership will continue to discuss the "ASH's Agenda for Hematology Research 2006-2008" with the Institute.

ASH Comments on Medicare Coverage Policy for Erythropoietin-Stimulating Agents (ESAs)
In light of new research studies that report increased risk of serious and life-threatening events associated with the use of ESAs, and the Food and Drug Administration's new warnings regarding the use of ESAs, Medicare issued instructions to local Medicare Carriers to prohibit Medicare coverage for ESAs when used for the treatment of the anemia of cancer (ESAs used for treatment of anemia due to chemotherapy are not affected by this change). Medicare also announced that it was beginning the process to develop a National Coverage Determination. Through its Reimbursement Subcommittee, ASH developed comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) concerning use of ESAs for patients with conditions other than end-stage renal disease, including recommendations about treatment targets and duration. For more information and to see ASH's comments, please visit the ASH Web site. ASH's comments will be posted by Friday, April 13.

Medicare Proposes Revised Clinical Trial Policy
CMS announced proposed revisions to the Clinical Trial Policy national coverage determination NCD. Under the Clinical Trial Policy, first developed in September 2000, Medicare pays for certain items and services for Medicare beneficiaries involved in clinical trials. ASH will be reviewing CMS's proposed revisions and commenting on this policy. If you have any particular concerns or comments, please contact ASH Director of Government Relations and Practice, Mila Becker, at mbecker@hematology.org.