Today, in response to the White House Cancer Moonshot, Moffitt Cancer Center and the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) announced they are co-hosting CancerX, a new public-private partnership effort to rapidly accelerate the pace of cancer innovation in the U.S., alongside the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH). They also announced CancerX’s inaugural project, which will focus on using digital innovation to reduce disparities and financial toxicity in cancer care and research.
CancerX uniquely blends Moffitt’s top research and care experts working side by side to revolutionize cancer treatment, extend access to the highest-quality care, and save more lives with DiMe’s expertise in convening cross-disciplinary groups to develop clinical-quality resources on a tech timeline. The initiative is open to all those working in the field who are committed to working collaboratively and share a vision of unleashing the power of innovation to design and create a future that’s free of the burden of cancer. Organizations and individuals who are interested in participating can visit https://cancerx.health/ for more information.
“The Cancer Moonshot’s mission is to cut the death rate from cancer by at least 50% over the next 25 years and improve the experience of people and their families living with and surviving cancer,” said Dr. Catharine Young, assistant director of Cancer Moonshot Engagement and Policy, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “To achieve these goals, we must amplify digital innovation, which is the mission of the newly formed CancerX. With DiMe and Moffitt’s leadership, this public-private partnership will advance best practices in cancer care, improve outcomes, and make real progress toward ending cancer as we know it.”
“One of the greatest challenges to leveraging new digital innovation in cancer care is the complexity of the data required to make smart decisions quickly. As our ability to effectively and efficiently access and interpret data from multiple streams has matured, we have an unprecedented opportunity for innovators and new innovations to contribute to achieving our Cancer Moonshot goals,” added Micky Tripathi, Ph.D., national coordinator for health information technology.
CancerX will use a three-pronged approach to generate impact in cancer research and care:
- Conducting pre-competitive evidence generation: A series of multi-stakeholder project teams will develop evidence, best practices, toolkits, and value models to drive success. The first project, “Advancing Digital Innovation to Improve Equity and Reduce Financial Toxicity in Cancer Care and Research,” is starting today.
- Establishing an Accelerator cohort: Mentorship, education, and exposure to funding and partnership opportunities for a start-up cohort. The first cohort will be announced in fall 2023.
- Leading demonstration projects: Implementation projects will pilot novel approaches to demonstrate value and sustainability for scale to drive broad adoption. The first demonstration project will begin in 2024.
All CancerX activities will be governed by a Steering Committee of cross-disciplinary leaders, which will be announced this spring.
“Digital innovation in oncology has not kept pace with other therapeutic areas. Innovative solutions that have made strides in other areas of health care often fall short when it comes to tackling the unique complexities of cancer care,” said Santosh Mohan, vice president of Digital at Moffitt Cancer Center. “Now more than ever before, we need entrepreneurial innovators who can help bridge the gap and make a meaningful difference. CancerX is poised to unveil opportunities for innovative action and lend expertise and guidance to accelerate progress at scale.”
“By harnessing our diverse strengths and expertise, we have the ability to impact the lives of every person, caregiver and researcher working on a cancer journey,” said Edmondo Robinson, Chief Digital Officer at Moffitt Cancer Center. “We are honored to co-host CancerX and pave the way to effectively leveraging digital innovation in the fight against cancer and reducing incidence, burden and disparities in cancer care.”
The first pre-competitive evidence generation project, which kicks off today, convenes a multi-stakeholder group of experts to assess, quantify, and enhance the impact of digital solutions on cancer care cost, access, and outcomes dimensions. The organizations participating include: American Cancer Society; Biofourmis; Blue Note Therapeutics; Cancer Support Community; Current Health, A Best Buy Health Company; Family Reach; Genomate Health; the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; Lightship; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK); National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI); Office of The National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC); Pluto Health; Sidekick Health, Science 37; Takeda Digital Ventures; Tempus; TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance; and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
“We’re proud to co-host CancerX in pursuit of the ambitious goals of the reignited Cancer Moonshot. Multi-stakeholder collaboration is the only way to harness the full promise of digital innovation in pursuit of the promise of a life without cancer,” said Jennifer Goldsack, CEO of DiMe. “In its first year, CancerX will convene leaders in the field from all industries serving all people with cancer. Through an integrated program of applied research, accelerated industry innovation, and implementation projects across the country, CancerX is structured to ignite efforts to triumph over cancer and transform the lives of millions. And there’s no time to spare – our critical work is already underway with the launch of our first pre-competitive project”