Dear SITC Members,
The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) strongly opposes the recent actions asking for a significant reduction in staff at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As an organization dedicated to advancing the science and application of cancer immunotherapy to make the word "cure" a reality for patients, SITC is deeply concerned that these cuts are already resulting in profound and detrimental impact on the United States' research and development ecosystem, delaying the progress of life-saving therapies to those who need them most.
One of the most immediate and damaging consequences of these reductions is the loss of key personnel at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) intramural program. This program has been the bedrock of immunotherapy research since its inception, driving transformative discoveries that have led to breakthrough treatments. A major reduction in staffing will lead to a "brain drain," stalling future advancements and jeopardizing ongoing research that is critical for the continued evolution of immunotherapy and cancer treatment.
Furthermore, reductions at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will severely constrain its ability to review and approve new drugs efficiently. With fewer staff members, the FDA will face delays in meeting Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) deadlines, limiting the agency’s capacity to issue guidance documents, conduct necessary meetings with the research community, and provide timely regulatory oversight. This bottleneck in the regulatory process will not only affect academic researchers and large pharmaceutical companies but will be particularly devastating for small biotech firms striving to bring next-generation innovations to market. These companies, which serve as the backbone of transformative scientific advancements, will face unprecedented obstacles in navigating an increasingly strained approval process.
The cumulative effect of these reductions will be a continued slowdown in the entire research and development pipeline, ultimately harming patients who depend on novel therapies to survive. SITC strongly urges the administration to reverse course and fully support HHS, ensuring that no disruptions occur in the critical infrastructure that underpins our nation’s biomedical research and regulatory oversight. The future of cancer immunotherapy, and the hope it provides to millions of patients, depends on a well-funded, fully staffed, and efficient HHS.
We call on the administration to take immediate action to restore staffing levels and prevent unnecessary barriers to progress. The promise of immunotherapy—and the lives of countless patients—depends on it.