Erica Forsberg retweeted
It's clear that many do not understand what @NIH-funded research does to improve health. It's time to revive a study published 10 years ago that provides incredible information about this. link in the comment
Every single new drug approved by the FDA from 2010–2016 was built on NIH-funded research—that’s all 210 drugs. But what the public sees is just the tip of the iceberg.
Pharma takes credit for the final product, but beneath each drug developed, there are ~20 years of basic research, and 90% of the cost is from basic research funded by the NIH, which discovers drug targets, understands disease mechanisms, and creates life-saving treatments.
Figuring out how cancer evades the immune system, how addiction rewires the brain, and how heart disease develops is the role of the NIH, creating the foundation for the breakthrough drugs that come 20 years later, and the NIH does all that with only 0.8% of the US budget.
Without NIH, there would be no cancer immunotherapy, no anti-overdose medication, no anti-heart attack or stroke medication, no cutting-edge treatments.
If NIH funding is cut, the iceberg will melt. That means fewer cures, more suffering, and more lives lost.
The science beneath the surface keeps us afloat.
Invest in NIH. Invest in life
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