US Embassy in New Delhi facilitates US-India Cancer Moonshot Dialogue

New Delhi: The US Embassy in New Delhi recently facilitated the first ever US-India Cancer Moonshot Dialogue at the National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi. The dialogue focused attention on cancer, strengthening US-India biomedical research cooperation, and jointly developing solutions to improve the health and well-being of the global community.

Eric Garcetti, US Ambassador to India, said "This exchange embodies the strength of the bond between our two great nations, built on a foundation of shared values, mutual respect, and a common vision for a healthier future; it’s a tangible way to show how the United States and India are moving our partnership forward for health."

Dialogue participants included senior officials from various US government agencies, including the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), Department of Energy (DoE), Veterans Affairs (VA), and cancer experts/scientists from Harvard University, the Mayo Clinic, the American Cancer Society, and officials from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, and senior scientists from several Indian academic Institutions across the country.

Dr Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, said, “The Department of Biotechnology is committed to accelerate discovery of innovative solutions towards cancer treatment through multidisciplinary approaches. The India-US Cancer Moonshot Dialogue, which included two-days of scientific discussions, is a testament to our commitment to revolutionise cancer cure, leveraging biotechnology advancements for a cancer-free tomorrow.”

Adding to that, Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Government of India, Department of Health Research and Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research said, “The two-day scientific deliberation was very fruitful and will foster collaboration between people, organisations, and between public and private entities to identify potential areas of mutual interest between the two countries in cancer research and management.”

Non-communicable diseases, including cancer, account for about 63 percent of all deaths in India. Cancer cases in India are estimated to increase by nearly 13 per cent in 2025, compared to 2020. In June 2023, President Biden and Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed the strong health partnership between the United States and India by announcing new commitments to accelerate the fight against cancer, including convening a US-India Cancer Dialogue to advance the prevention, early detection, and treatment of cancer.

The US-India Cancer Moonshot Dialogue will accelerate cooperation and collaboration around artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled innovation for cancer care, novel therapeutics – vaccines, immunotherapy, and other biologicals, cost effective equitable cancer therapy and implementation science, cancer genomics and precision medicine, cancer clinical trials: priorities, regulatory landscape and capacity building, holistic survivorship care and integrative approach to cancer management: understanding complementary and alternative medicines.