Joe Biden just named a cancer patient to head his cancer cure campaign

The search for a cancer cure. — (Image credit: iStock.)

Vice President Joe Biden named Greg Simon, 64, as the head of the White House-backed initiative to end cancer. Simon knows firsthand about the urgency to find a cure — he is a cancer patient himself.

Simon was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia six months ago and completed a round of chemotherapy, The New York Times reports. He is now healthy but while sick, he lost a close friend.

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Simon served as an aide to Vice President Al Gore from 1991 to 1997, helped start FasterCures — a charity that worked to expedite the process between research and the creation of lifesaving medications — and also served as the senior vice president for patient engagement at Pfizer. Simon currently works at Poliwogg, a company that invests in life sciences.

Biden has called his "moon shot" cancer cure campaign "personal"; his son, Beau Biden, died of brain cancer last year.

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.