Amgen donate $2m towards increasing diversity in clinical trials

American multinational Amgen has teamed up with the Lazarex Cancer Foundation in support of an initiative aimed at increasing access to clinical trials for those of all backgrounds, in the United States.

The Thousand Oaks-based firm has contributed $2 million to Lazarex's IMPACT (IMproving Patient Access to Cancer Clinical Trials) programme, which is focused on improving patient enrolment retention, minority participation and equitable access in oncology trials.

It is hoped that greater enrolment in clinical trials may contribute to the development of new cancer treatments. The programme aims to support participation of diverse patient populations while creating a new standard through which cancer patients, regardless of their ability to pay for transport or expenses are able to participate in clinical trials.

"Clinical trials are critical to advancing new oncology treatments and can also serve as a lifeline for cancer patients who may only have a few options left," said Robert A. Bradway, chairman and chief executive officer at Amgen. "We are pleased to support the Lazarex Cancer Foundation's efforts to create more equitable access to clinical trials for cancer patients and improve minority participation in clinical trials, regardless of their circumstances."

According to data published in Representation of Minorities and Women in Oncology Clinical Trials, 83% of 55,689 clinical trial enrolees were white, 6% were African-American, 5.3% were Asian, 2.6% were Hispanic, and 2.4% were classified as "other", between the years 2003 and 2016.

"We commend Amgen's decision to join forces with Lazarex to support access to enrolment in clinical trial to diverse patients," said Dana Dornsife, founder of Lazarex Cancer Foundation. "Thanks to Amgen's support of IMPACT, we can optimize the resources we have and get all stakeholders working to provide more opportunities to patients and more opportunities for therapeutic advancement."

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