The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network launched a print and online campaign in key congressional districts urging lawmakers to renew funding for the CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. The print ad depicts a blindfolded woman along with the words “We can’t fight cancer if we can’t see it.”

Takeda seized on FDA uncertainty over GSK’s Avandia with a campaign for its own oral diabetes drug, Actos, in July. A print ad, by AbelsonTaylor, appeared in 154 publications and national mags, advising readers: “Actos has been shown to lower blood sugar without increasing your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.”

The Amgen Foundation is partnering with Ashoka’s Changemakers, a social networking group, on an online competition aimed at patient empowerment. The contest invites entries on the theme of “Patients/choices/empowerment” that offer “innovative solutions that elevate patients’ voices to improve health outcomes.” Prizes include three $10,000 cash prizes to further proposed projects, along with “further opportunities offered by The Amgen Foundation.”