The Biden Cancer Initiative, the nonprofit former Vice President Joe Biden started two years ago after leaving the White House, is shutting down, at least for now.
Greg Simon, the organization’s president, said in a statement it was suspending activities because of “our unique circumstances.” He added: “We remain personally committed to the cause, but at this time will have to pause efforts. We thank the community for their incredible response to our mission to improve the cancer journey for patients and to improve outcomes for all patients for generations to come.”
Those unique circumstances: Biden is currently the top-polling Democratic candidate for the nomination of the Democratic Party in the 2020 presidential election. Last month, the Associated Press raised concerns as to whether the Biden Cancer Initiative’s connections with for-profit health care companies would pose ethical issues for a Biden administration. The AP cited concerns from Arthur Caplan, a prominent New York University bioethicist, who said that a “Biden administration would give favorable treatment for anyone who supported his foundation in the past.”
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