Investing Where It Matters Most: The Economic, Medical, and Moral Imperative to Fund Biomedical and Melanoma Research

Investing Where It Matters Most: The Economic, Medical, and Moral Imperative to Fund Biomedical and Melanoma Research

Published: July 17, 2025 | By: OcularCancer.com Read Time: 7 Minutes

As we confront the current realities of the American economy, it is crucial to approach change with clarity and reason - not fear and overreaction - to seize the opportunity to shift the conversation toward productive, forward-thinking solutions, such as investing in biomedical research to cure deadly cancers like melanoma. In a time marked by budget surpluses, reduced wasteful spending, and more careful evaluation of how federal grants are allocated, the United States and Americans stand at a pivotal moment. We have a historic opportunity to redirect public discussion and investment toward biomedical research - an area that not only saves lives but also drives innovation and strengthens the economy. Strategic investments in biomedical research, including targeted efforts on melanoma and rare ocular cancers, represent more than sound health policy - they are a commitment to national prosperity, enhanced quality of life, and sustained global leadership. The Economic Toll of Cancer: We’re All Paying the Price

Cancer remains one of the most devastating and expensive diseases in the United States. According to the Cigna Health Group, the total national cost of cancer care will reach over $222 billion in 2025 - and estimates calculate the cost to reach $245 billion per year by 2030. These costs are not confined to the patients diagnosed and their treatments. Every American pays, through rising insurance premiums, public healthcare costs, lost workforce productivity, and public caregiving burdens. 

This means even those untouched by a cancer diagnosis are indirectly burdened by this disease. Inaction is not a neutral stance. It is a costly one - economically and morally. The time has come to proactively fund a solution, not just manage a crisis. 

That solution begins with robust investment in proactive biomedical research.

Biomedical Research: An Economic Engine

“For nearly a century, active US federal investment in biomedical research has delivered breakthroughs that cure diseases, improve quality of life, and drive economic growth,” says Esther Krofah, Executive Vice President of Health at the Milken Institute. “Each dollar the National Institutes of Health (NIH) invests generates multiple dollars in downstream research and development, underpinning the creation of medical products that receive regulatory approval. Federal investment in biomedical research is a key engine of US competitiveness and prosperity.”

Indeed, the economic return on research is profound. The National Institutes of Health reports that its $47 billion investment in biomedical research fuels a $1.55 trillion pharmaceutical and biotech industry. Every $100 million in NIH funding leads to an estimated 76 patents and spurs nearly $600 million in further research and development. Beyond the return on investment, this research creates jobs, trains future scientists, supports biotech innovation, and makes the U.S. a global leader in health technology.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), the NIH’s dedicated arm for cancer research, plays a vital role in the ecosystem - funding basic science, clinical trials, prevention programs, and workforce development. Their investments translate directly into longer survival rates, better quality of life, and more effective, targeted cancer therapies.

Melanoma Research: Progress, Promise, and a Path to Cure

Among the many areas of biomedical advancement, melanoma research stands out as a beacon of hope and discovery. Melanoma, an aggressive and often deadly form of skin cancer, is expected to affect over 212,000 Americans in 2025 alone. This includes both in situ (localized) and invasive, potentially deadly, cases. 

The American Cancer Society estimates about 104,960 new cases of invasive melanoma will be diagnosed in the US in 2025, with around 8,430 (5,470 men and 2,960 women) related deaths.

Thanks to ongoing investment in melanoma research, the future is far from hopeless. Breakthroughs in early detection, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies are transforming outcomes and offering renewed hope to patients and their families. As scientists deepen their understanding of the disease, more effective and personalized treatments continue to emerge, paving the way for improved survival rates and, ultimately, a cure for melanoma.

The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) - the world’s largest private nonprofit funder of melanoma research - has directly invested over $175 million toward scientific breakthroughs. Co-Founded by a melanoma patient and driven by individuals who have been personally impacted by this disease, the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) brings an unmatched sense of urgency, empathy, and determination to its mission. This deeply personal connection fuels the organization’s unwavering commitment to finding a cure. MRA’s motto 'Advancing Discoveries. Changing Lives. Curing Melanoma.' - perfectly encapsulates its purpose. Through strategic funding of groundbreaking research, fostering collaborations among colleges, universities, scientists and clinicians, and supporting organizations who work to raise public awareness, MRA is not only accelerating scientific progress but also making a real and lasting difference in the lives of patients around the world.

MRA’s impact is far-reaching:

• Grant Funding: From young investigators to established scientists, MRA supports every stage of the research pipeline.

• Collaborative Research: The organization partners with academia, biotech, and pharmaceutical sectors to drive progress in the search for a cure.

• Focus on Rare Subtypes: MRA specifically funds studies into uveal, mucosal, and pediatric melanoma - areas historically overlooked due to their rarity.
  

• Training the Next Generation: Through Young Investigator Awards, MRA ensures a continuous influx of talented researchers dedicated to curing melanoma.
  

Ocular Cancers: Rare, Deadly, and Desperately Underfunded

Though melanoma is best known for affecting the skin, ocular melanomas such as uveal melanoma, conjunctival melanoma, and other forms of ocular cancer share many genetic and biological features with cutaneous melanoma. 

This commonality means that advancements in melanoma research are likely to yield breakthroughs in treating ocular cancers. These rare cancers receive a fraction of the attention and funding compared to more prevalent diseases, yet they remain just as life-altering for patients and families. Organizations like the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) play a critical role in closing the gap between scientific discovery and real-world impact. Powered by public donations and federal grants, MRA accelerates research, advances clinical trials, and invests in the future of innovation across melanoma and rare eye cancers.

By supporting organizations like MRA, advocates and donors help turn hope into action - and action into lifesaving progress. In rare cancer communities, funding is not just helpful - it’s life-saving, and it depends on you.

NIH and the Broader Biomedical Ecosystem

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and other organizations such as the Milken Institute, is the cornerstone of the American biomedical research engine. Each year, billions of dollars are awarded to research institutions, universities, and hospitals working to prevent, treat, and cure cancer.

Federal Investments in Biomedical Research:

• Spur innovation in biotech and pharma industries

• Support clinical trials that give patients access to cutting-edge therapies
  

• Train the next generation of cancer researchers and clinicians
  

• Reduce health disparities through focused programs on the underserved and underinsured community
  

• Improve public health outcomes and quality of life for all patients
  

The Milken Institute has long championed NIH’s role, warning against potential cuts in biomedical research funding: “Proposed federal cuts to biomedical research at NIH and across our broader research enterprise and regulatory agencies risk significantly stalling that progress,” the Institute stated. “The Milken Institute remains committed to serving as a thought partner in efforts to better align federal biomedical research investment with results… tomorrow’s discoveries bring hope to generations to come.”

The Role of Nonprofits and the Power of Public Engagement

In the fight against cancer, nonprofit organizations play a critical and often underestimated role. They rely on public engagement to fundraise, advocate, educate, and support patients in their journeys, elevate their voices, and champion their cause.

Public engagement drives success in four key ways:

1. Financial Support: Fundraising events and online donations provide critical resources for research, treatment, and patient care.

2. Advocacy: Nonprofits raise awareness and mobilize support for policies that increase research funding and access to care.

3. Volunteers: Volunteers expand capacity, deliver essential services, and amplify messages that might otherwise be lost in the noise of everyday life.

4. Patient Engagement: Organizations involve patients in research, clinical trials, and decision-making, improving involvement, outcomes, and satisfaction.

   
   

Supporting nonprofits like the MRA isn’t just an act of charity - it’s a powerful expression of active citizenship. It reflects a commitment to the greater good, a willingness to invest in lifesaving research, and a belief that individuals can help drive meaningful change in our healthcare system and society. When you support organizations like MRA, you’re not just giving - you’re standing up for progress, for patients, and for a healthier future for all.

A Call to Action: Make 2025 the Year of Commitment

In 2025, if you or a loved one are impacted by melanoma or ocular cancer, make your voice heard, share your journey, and empower the mission to discover a cure. Organizations like the Melanoma Research Alliance are not just passive recipients of support. They amplify your voice. They invest it. They translate it into research, advocacy, and progress. Their alliance model is built on the power of shared purpose and collective action.

In a world that pulls us in a hundred different directions - family, career, education, finances - it's important to focus on where we can make real, lasting, and meaningful impacts. Supporting biomedical research is one of those rare opportunities where the impact is both personal and global. Investing in cancer research isn’t just noble generosity - it’s a smart choice for America's future. Every one of us bears the economic, emotional, and social cost of cancer - from lost productivity to heartbreak and strained communities. 

By backing biomedical research - especially in melanoma and ocular cancer - we can rewrite the story for patients, for America, and for the world. Together, we can transform cancer from a feared diagnosis into a curable condition. Every voice matters. Every dollar counts. Every advocate builds momentum.

Let us, as a nation, commit to a different future - one defined not by projections, but by progress. By 2030 - Together, We Can. Change the course of what lies ahead. We can reduce the estimated $245 - $246 billion cost of cancer care. We can prevent some of the diagnosed 2.5 million new cancer cases. And we can save lives - lowering the projected 620,000 to 650,000 cancer deaths in America. 

The path forward is clear: invest in research, support innovation, and act with urgency.

Together, We Are Stronger. Together, We Can Cure Cancer. Join the Alliance, Today.