Key Points
- Strong, bipartisan language on the importance of focused ultrasound and the patient experience was included in the US government’s 2026 funding appropriations bill.
- The Foundation partnered with G2G Consulting to advocate for this legislation.
The Foundation, together with partnership from G2G Consulting, advocated for strong, bipartisan language on focused ultrasound to be included in the 2026 government funding appropriations bill. The added language is intended to promote focused ultrasound research and prioritize patients. We are pleased to share that the focused ultrasound–specific language was included in the final bill, which was signed into law by President Trump on February 3.
The bill encourages the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue engaging with the focused ultrasound stakeholder community, strengthen coordinated cross-NIH research, and better integrate patient perspectives.
Importantly, the House directs NIH to provide an organization-wide overview of focused ultrasound grants and future research opportunities in its fiscal year 2027 congressional justification, and the Senate requested a similar briefing within 120 days.
“The Foundation, in collaboration with G2G Consulting, has been able to raise the profile of focused ultrasound among key stakeholders,” said Cindy Clark, the Foundation’s director of Commercial Initiatives and Strategy. “We look forward to continuing this important work with NIH, other federal agencies, and Congress to expand research funding and accelerate clinical translation.”
The specific language included is as follows:
Focused Ultrasound.—The Committee understands focused ultrasound is a noninvasive, non-pharmacological, safe, and cost-effective alternative or complement to conventional surgery, radiation therapy, or drug-based treatments. It is a promising intervention for patients suffering from serious conditions like Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and prostate cancer, as well as for conditions and diseases affecting women such as breast cancer, gynecological cancers, uterine fibroids, and endometriosis, and it is being explored for many other indications. The Committee encourages NIH to continue engaging with the focused ultrasound stakeholder community, explore existing focused ultrasound research groups, and ensure coordinated cross-NIH research. The Committee directs NIH to provide an update in the fiscal year 2027 congressional justification, including an NIH-wide overview of grants awarded to support focused ultrasound research and research opportunities for advancing increased focused ultrasound research across the institutes and centers. The Committee also encourages the development and implementation of effective approaches to integrate patient perspectives into research, which could include the establishment of a Focused Ultrasound Patient Engagement Advisory Board.
Focused Ultrasound.—The Committee understands focused ultrasound is a non-invasive, non-pharmacological, relatively safe, and cost-effective alternative or complement to conventional surgery, radiation, or drug-based treatments that holds tremendous promise to treat numerous debilitating conditions and diseases including Alzheimer’s breast cancer, gynecological cancers, uterine fibroids, and endometriosis, and substance abuse disorder. The Committee encourages NIH continue to engage with the focused ultrasound stakeholder community and requests a briefing on efforts to increase focused ultrasound research funding within 120 days of the enactment.