Joe Biden to lead charge toward cure for cancer, Obama says in final State of the Union

President Barack Obama announced a new national effort to cure cancer, with Vice President Joe Biden leading the charge, during his final State of the Union address Tuesday night.

Biden lost his son Beau to brain cancer last year.

Obama compared finding a cure to the U.S. putting a man on the moon.

"Last year, Vice President Biden said that with a new moonshot, America can cure cancer," Obama said. "Last month, he worked with this Congress to give scientists at the National Institutes of Health the strongest resources they've had in over a decade."

A new national effort will get it done, he said.

"And because he's gone to the mat for all of us, on so many issues over the past forty years, I'm putting Joe in charge of mission control. For the loved ones we've all lost, for the family we can still save, let's make America the country that cures cancer once and for all."

Obama also said the country is on track to end HIV and AIDS, and could do the same with malaria. He said the U.S. approach to building a global coalition prevented a nuclear-armed Iran and also stopped the spread of Ebola in West Africa.

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In an impassioned address seen as focusing on his legacy, the president defended his record and touted the Affordable Care Act. Since it has been law, nearly 18 million Americans have gained health coverage, with more than 90 percent gaining insurance for the first time ever, according to whitehouse.gov.

Overall though, healthcare remained a small part of the president's speech. Obama did not address the bill he is sure to veto that guts his signature healthcare law. Congress voted last week to send it to the president's desk.

Twitter: @SusanJMorse