Advocates push to save medical research funds from cuts

An advocacy coalition launched a campaign to highlight cuts to medical research contained in the sequester, a set of automatic budget cuts set to hit unless Congress acts before Jan. 1.

United for Medical Research (UMR), an alliance of research advocates, institutions and private industry, are publishing ads in Beltway publications that urge lawmakers to remember the looming 8.2 percent cut to funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"Defense cuts? Not the only threat," reads one ad. "Stop cuts to medical research." 

In a separate report, UMR estimated that a roughly 8 percent cut to the NIH budget would result in 33,000 fewer jobs and a $4.5 billion decrease in economic activity.

A spokeswoman also predicted "delays in medical advancements around new treatments for chronic diseases, and an overall compromise to medical innovation in the U.S." as a result of the cuts.

Medical research groups have been on the offensive for several weeks as Washington begins negotiations on the fiscal cliff, a combination of the sequester and expiring tax rates that has forced a wider debate on ways to reduce the deficit.

Research!America and several dozen patient, industry and other health groups launched a week of advocacy on Capitol Hill earlier this month.

---