During the 2022 Maryland General Assembly, the state’s governor, Larry Hogan, used supplementary budgetary funds to introduce a $216-million amendment to boost the amount of funding dedicated to cancer research, prevention, and treatment. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), an AACI sustaining member, successfully advocated for this funding. Dubbed the “Maryland Cancer Moonshot,” the program is modeled after the Biden Cancer Moonshot, first introduced in 2016 and reignited in 2022.
The Maryland Cancer Moonshot is focused on providing funding for the following projects:
- $100 million is earmarked for facilities expansion at University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC). As an AACI member and an NCI-Designated Cancer Center, UMGCCC serves over 3,000 patients annually. This patient-focused project will provide cutting edge cancer care to the expanding outpatient population in the state and is planned for completion in 2025.
- $67 million is allocated to the construction of a new cancer center on the campus of the University of Maryland’s Capitol Region Medical Center, in Largo, MD. The new center will increase in-county access to cancer screenings and treatment, reducing patient travel times. The center is slated for completion in the spring of 2024.
- $46.5 million is supporting three cancer research institutions: $25 million for the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins University to bolster cancer research; $20.5 million to the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund to kickstart development of new treatments and potential cures using regenerative medicine; and, $1 million to the University of Maryland School of Medicine for pediatric cancer research.
- $2.5 million will support the Maryland Tech Council’s Biohub Maryland program. This program seeks to grow the state’s life science and biotechnology workforce. It also looks to expand outreach and opportunities for underserved students and communities.