During Joe Biden's term as vice president, he founded and launched Cancer Moonshot under President Barack Obama, to support cancer research and enable progress in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
The legislation also commits to combat the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic, as well as additional funds to support mental health reform and an improved drug development process. The bill was later renamed for the funding for the Cancer Moonshot in honor of Biden's eldest son, Beau Biden, who died from brain cancer in May 2015.