Science and patient advocacy groups rally against sequestration

Nearly 200 research and patient organisations held a demonstration in Washington DC to protest about the impact of the automatic across-the-board cuts known as sequestration, which went into effect on 1 March.

The event, dubbed the Rally for Medical Research, called on US policymakers to ensure medical research funding was a national priority and to end the cuts.

The sequestration, which was triggered when Republican leaders in Congress and the White House failed to reach a deficit-reduction deal, cuts NIH’s budget by 5.1 per cent in fiscal year 2013. This includes a reduction of more than $250 million in cancer research alone, according to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, a sponsor of the rally.