For many patients with serious diseases, access to a clinical trial can be life‑saving—but also very difficult. Today, the CIRM Board approved a concept plan to make participation in CIRM‑funded clinical trials easier, both financially and logistically.
Patient Support Program
The plan creates a Patient Support Program (PSP) to assist California patients being evaluated or enrolled in CIRM‑supported trials, with a focus on underserved communities.
“Supporting stem cell and gene therapy development is only part of our mission,” says Maria T. Millan, M.D., CIRM President and CEO. “If Californians cannot access the clinical trials and therapies they make possible, we have not fulfilled that mission.”
The PSP offers
The PSP offers several forms of support. It provides clinical trial navigation to guide patients to appropriate CIRM‑funded studies. It offers logistical help for patients during screening or enrollment. It also provides financial support for underserved patients through the CIRM Patient Assistance Fund, covering travel, lodging, meals, and transportation. In addition, nurse navigators support patients’ psychosocial, emotional, and practical needs.
Proposition 14 funds the PSP and directs CIRM licensing revenues to help offset treatment costs and qualified patient expenses. The Licensing Revenues and Royalties Fund currently holds $15.6 million.
“The PSP and financial resources will not only help patients, but will also improve trial success,” says Sean Turbeville, Ph.D., CIRM Vice President of Medical Affairs and Policy. “Cell and gene therapies can be demanding for patients and families. Travel, long evaluations, and financial challenges often make enrollment difficult. The PSP aims to change that.”
The statewide program will support hundreds of patients over five years. It will cost $300,000 to $500,000 each year and will be funded through the Medical Affairs budget, not the patient assistance fund.
The first phase will identify an organization, through a competitive process, with the expertise to maintain a call and support center, assess patient eligibility for financial help, and report patient needs and program performance to CIRM.
More information about the Patient Support Program is available on our website here and here.
News about CIRM is nice. I would like to see more success stories and medical breaking news.
The Patient Support Program provides a win-win situation for patients and CIRM-supported clinical trials. Individuals battling deadly diseases have the best opportunity to receive innovative treatments that may culminated in better clinical outcomes. The program also ensures these clinical trials have sufficient human participants to turn them into a success much faster.