In the latter part of the 20th century, astonishing insights into the basic understanding of disease became possible. These advances were fueled by the Human Genome Project, the increased use of patient populations and disease states to inform basic research, and the doubling of the NIH budget.

Along with these advances came growing public expectations for both the translation of these findings into the everyday management of disease, as well as a demand for some accountability that doubling our nation’s investment in research is making a difference to the health of our nation.

The Clinical Research Forum recognizes that this context sets the stage for a critical time in our nation’s history. Signs point to a decrease in the NIH budget, effectively negating the benefits of the past doubling of the NIH budget.

The advances that have taken place as a result of very modest investments in biomedical research are remarkable. According to the NIH, the total cumulative investment in research at NIH over the past 30 years is only $ 44 per person a year. For this investment,

• The death rates from cardiovascular disease have declined by 63% and by 70% for stroke. 1.6 million people per year between the ages of 50-60 now survive who would have died as a result of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
• The mortality rates for cancer, the second leading cause of death, have been falling and 700,000 breast cancer patients per year may not have to undergo chemotherapy, and the quality of life has been improved for more than 10 million cancer survivors
• Research into attiretroviral drugs have prevented hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and deaths from AIDS, including 16,000-20,000 children each year who would have contracted the disease through mother to child transmission.

Of course there have been very impressive financial returns on investment from these modest investments including Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke where there has been an investment of $110 per person over the past 30 years that has yielded $2.6 trillion in economic return.

The investments in the academic health centers that train the researchers who develop the treatments and cures for today and tomorrow are increasing be hampered by budgetary constraints. Increased funding offers the opportunity for even greater advances in medical prevention, treatment, and cures and makes economic sense.

In a recent Research! America survey, 95% of Americans think research institutions (including academic health centers, government, and industry) should work together to develop new treatments and cures. Another survey found that 74% of Americans agreed Congress should provide tax and regulatory policies that encourage more medical research.

The Clinical Research Forum remains totally committed to furthering the effective translation of basic research discoveries into clinical practice and to fostering the new clinical advances and best practices that flow from clinical research. It views its work as facilitating the transfer of new understandings of disease into new methods for diagnosis, therapy, and prevention, and a more effective practice of improved health care. In order for this to be achieved the Forum is committed to bringing together the leaders of the clinical research enterprise in government and industry to work more closely together with the academic health centers in alleviating human suffering and improving the quality of life of all Americans.