Washington, D.C. – Earlier this month, the House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander, the Give Kids a Chance Act of 2025, a landmark bill to give children with cancer access to combination therapy trials. The bill will also incentivize pharmaceutical companies to develop treatments for rare pediatric diseases. Congressman Chris Pappas is also a cosponsor of this legislation.

“As we work to end cancer as we know it, every American should have access to the best treatments available,” said Congresswoman Goodlander. “Our bipartisan bill will give every kid in New Hampshire a real chance at a healthy future and bring hope to families who are facing the unimaginable. Let’s get this done.”

In the United States, almost 16,000 children are diagnosed with cancer every year. However, children have extremely limited treatment options compared to adults. The Give Kids a Chance Act will authorize the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require pediatric studies to combine certain molecularly-targeted oncology drugs or biologics to determine if the combination of therapies can help treat the growth and progression of pediatric cancer. Combination therapy trials have proven successful in adults with cancer, especially in preventing relapse and improving quality of life during cancer treatment. Most pediatric cancer patients who are currently participating in drug trials have relapsed cancers.

The bill also reauthorizes the FDA priority review voucher program, which incentivizes pharmaceutical companies to develop treatments for rare pediatric diseases.

Congresswoman Goodlander has dedicated her life to serving New Hampshire and our country. Before taking the oath to represent the Second District in the People’s House, she served as a senior advisor at the White House, where she led the Unity Agenda for the Nation, dedicated to solving five big challenges that unite us as a nation, including ending cancer as we know it. In December, she and Pappas helped unveil the bipartisan health care framework, CommonGround 2025, to push for consideration of this critical legislation.

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