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CATEGORY: Philanthropy News

Amgen Joins Gilead Sciences as a Program Supporter

Applications Now Open for Physicians and Medical Students

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program (Winn Award Program) established by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF) today announced that Amgen, a global biotechnology company, has committed to contribute $8 million over the next four years. This contribution will enable the program to reach additional physicians and medical students, further expanding the initiative that aims to extend the reach of clinical trials in underserved patient populations in U.S. communities.

The Winn Award Program has so far trained 114 early-stage investigator physicians, and it has provided an immersive experience in community-based clinical research to 44 medical students who are from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. It is now accepting applications from physicians for the third cohort of its Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award (Winn CDA) and from medical students for the second cohort of its Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials: Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (Winn CIPP) Award. With the additional support from Amgen, it is set to reach more than 300 diverse and community-oriented clinical investigators and 300 diverse medical students by 2027.

“With the skills, experience and networks they will gain from participation in the Winn Award Program, these extraordinary physicians and students will make a significant difference in how healthcare is delivered in the U.S.,” said Jude Ngang, Executive Director, and leader of the Amgen Representation in Clinical Research (RISE) program. “Supporting physicians and medical students dedicated to health equity and emphasizing the need for increasing diversity in clinical trials early in their careers is an important step toward improving the health of all people.”

Diversity in clinical trials is a longstanding challenge in healthcare, and currently close to 80% of participants in clinical research trials are white, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Lack of diversity in clinical trials hinders the ability to eliminate health disparities and ensure medicines are safe and effective for all patients. To address this issue, the BMSF created the Winn Award Program in 2020 as part of its commitment to health equity, inclusion and diversity. The BMSF chose Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) as the program implementation partner and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) as a curriculum partner to deliver The Robert A. Winn – AACR Design and Implementation of Clinical Trials Workshop, the first training the Winn CDA scholars receive. The program is named in honor of Robert A. Winn, M.D., Director and Lipman Chair in Oncology, VCU Massey Cancer Center and Chair of the Winn Award Program National Advisory Committee.

“It is no secret that the current state of clinical research does not reflect the diversity of the U.S. population,” said John Damonti, President, Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF). “Substantial, lasting change can be accomplished only if everyone is a part of this movement in diversifying healthcare. As we strive to ensure that safe and effective medicines and therapies are available for all across the nation, we are honored to have Amgen serve as a supporter of the Winn Award Program in achieving this vision.”

The BMSF pledged $100 million to support 250 Winn CDAs and 250 Winn CIPPs over the span of the program. In 2022, Gilead Sciences committed $14 million of support, including 10 Winn CDAs and 10 Winn CIPPs per year for four years.

“Gilead is pleased to welcome Amgen to the Winn Award Program as a new and very appreciated supporter,” said Merdad Parsey, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, Gilead Sciences. “At Gilead, we’re committed to creating a healthier world for everyone. By investing in the training and development of clinical trial scientists, we’re recognizing and supporting transformative medical breakthroughs while expanding reach to more patient populations and communities.”

The Winn Award Program currently offers two awards: the Winn CDA, a two-year program designed to support diverse physicians and those who have demonstrated commitment to increasing diversity in clinical trial research within their local communities, and the Winn CIPP, a six-week summer externship during which diverse medical students are provided an immersive experience in community-based clinical research. The Winn Award Program encourages others in the healthcare industry to consider participating as faculty and/or sponsors. Interested parties can learn more about the program at diversityinclinicaltrials.org and contact the team at winnawardinfo@vcu.edu.

About the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation

The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, an independent charitable organization, focuses on communities most at risk of suffering the impacts of serious diseases in regions of the world that are hardest hit. It empowers partners to develop and test innovative solutions to advance health equity and improve access to quality healthcare for patients. Grant making focuses on cancer, cardiovascular disease, and immunologic disease, as well as clinical trial diversity in the United States, and prevalent cancers in nine African countries, Brazil and China. The mission of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation is to promote health equity and improve the health outcomes of populations disproportionately affected by serious diseases by strengthening healthcare worker capacity, integrating medical care and community-based supportive services and mobilizing communities in the fight against disease. For more information, visit Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (bms.com).

About Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a major, urban public research university with national and international rankings in sponsored research. Located in downtown Richmond, VCU enrolls nearly 29,000 students in 238 degree and certificate programs in the arts, sciences and humanities. Twenty-three of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of them crossing the disciplines of VCU’s 11 schools and three colleges. For more, please visit vcu.edu.

About the American Association for Cancer Research

Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 54,000 laboratory, translational, and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and patient advocates residing in 130 countries and territories. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 30 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting. In addition, the AACR publishes 10 prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients, and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the Scientific Partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration, and scientific oversight of team science and individual investigator grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and other policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

About Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis and cancer. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.

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Media: media@bms.com

Source: Bristol Myers Squibb 

The Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program Announces the Second Group of Physicians to be Trained in the $114 Million Program

64 physicians comprise Cohort II, bringing the total to 116 participants in the program’s second year

(PRINCETON, N.J., October 25, 2022) - The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF), together with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and Gilead Sciences, Inc., today announced that an additional 64 physicians have been selected to receive the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Award (Winn CDA). 

The Winn CDA is one of two awards offered by the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program announced in November 2020, which aims to train, develop and mentor more than 580 diverse and community-oriented clinical trialists and medical students by 2027. 

"Clinical trials are at the heart of all medical advances - from detection to treatment,” said Robert A. Winn, M.D., director and Lipman Chair in Oncology, VCU Massey Cancer Center and Chair of the Winn Award Program National Advisory Committee, after whom the program was named (April 2022). “Putting our oath as physicians into action, we must approach clinical trials in a safe and effective manner, which considers patients from diverse communities and backgrounds. In doing so, people from all walks of life will be able to benefit from scientific advances and treatment.”

The 64 physicians selected by an independent national review committee are from a broad range of healthcare institutions in 22 states across the U.S. These Winn Scholars -- 41 women and 23 men -- represent a diverse cross section of races and ethnicities and bring a widely varied perspective to the program, practicing in the therapeutic areas of cancer (hematologic or solid tumors), immunologic disorders and cardiovascular diseases. They join the 52 physicians awarded to the two-year program in November 2021. 

“The Winn Award Program is a priority of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation not only due to our longstanding commitment to health equity, but also because we understand that more inclusive and diverse clinical trials will lead to better science and patient outcomes,” said John Damonti, president, Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation. “We are mindful that advancing diversity in clinical trials is a long-term initiative whose success depends on deep engagement at the community level. As we enter the program’s second year, we are humbled by the reception and support it has received, and we look forward to expanding the collaboration with others in the private and public sectors who are interested in joining this movement.” 

Through the Winn Award Program’s Winn CDA, physicians are being trained as world-class clinical research scientists with additional knowledge, skills and competencies in effective community outreach and engagement. The Winn Award Program also offers an award to medical students who are underrepresented in medicine (URM), called the Robert A. Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (Winn CIPP). The Winn CIPP provides a six-week summer service-learning externship in community-based clinical research sites, where students benefit from exposures to clinical research, community engagement experiences and leadership development. Together, the two awards aim to develop a current and future workforce with the potential to transform the clinical research landscape by conducting clinical trials designed with the goal of increasing the diversity of their participants.

“We are excited to have a second cohort of scholars enter this pioneering program through which they will be trained to utilize their skills and passion to enhance diversity in clinical research,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), chief executive officer of the AACR. “The Winn Award Program embodies AACR’s commitment to advancing equitable cancer research for the benefit of all patients.”

Unique collaboration focuses on increasing diversity in clinical trials

The Winn Award Program was created in 2020 with a $100 million pledge by the BMSF as part of its commitment to health equity, inclusion and diversity. The Foundation selected the AACR as a curriculum partner to develop the BMSF-AACR intensive Design and Implementation of Clinical Trials Workshop, which is the first training the Winn CDA Scholars receive. VCU serves as the program implementation partner under the direction of Winn. Gilead Sciences is a program supporter, committing $14 million to sponsor a total of 40 Winn CDAs and 40 Winn CIPP awards through 2027. The program partners encourage others in the health care industry to consider participating as faculty and/or sponsors. The application process for the third cohort of the Winn CDA will open January 3, 2023. Interested parties can learn more about the program at diversityinclinicaltrials.org and contact the team at winnawardinfo@vcu.edu. 

“Gilead is committed to improving diversity in clinical trials and advancing health equity. Leveraging insights from our more than 30 years of experience in clinical trials, we are engaging with diverse patients, communities, researchers and clinicians in trial design, planning and management,” said Merdad Parsey, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer, Gilead Sciences. “We are proud to collaborate with partners through programs like the Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Award to increase awareness, education and interest in clinical trials across the diverse communities we serve, especially those that have been underrepresented in clinical trials.”

About the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation 

The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, an independent charitable organization, focuses on communities most at risk of suffering the impacts of serious diseases in regions of the world that are hardest hit. It empowers partners to develop and test innovative solutions to advance health equity and improve access to quality healthcare for patients. Grant making focuses on cancer, cardiovascular disease, and immunologic disease, as well as clinical trial diversity in the United States, and prevalent cancers in nine African countries, Brazil and China. The mission of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation is to promote health equity and improve the health outcomes of populations disproportionately affected by serious diseases by strengthening healthcare worker capacity, integrating medical care and community-based supportive services and mobilizing communities in the fight against disease. For more information, visit Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (bms.com).

About VCU and VCU Health

Virginia Commonwealth University is a major, urban public research university with national and international rankings in sponsored research. Located in downtown Richmond, VCU enrolls nearly 29,000 students in 238 degree and certificate programs in the arts, sciences and humanities. Twenty-three of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of them crossing the disciplines of VCU’s 11 schools and three colleges. For more, please visit vcu.edu and vcuhealth.org.

About the American Association for Cancer Research

Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 52,000 laboratory, translational, and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and patient advocates residing in 130 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 30 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting. In addition, the AACR publishes 10 prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients, and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the Scientific Partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration, and scientific oversight of team science and individual investigator grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and other policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

About Gilead Sciences, Inc. 

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis and cancer. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.

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Media: media@bms.com

 The groundbreaking, uniquely robust Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program is on track to train more than 500 individuals from diverse backgrounds by 2027. 

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF), together with its partners, National Medical Fellowships (NMF) and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), today announced a new name for the $100 million, five-year initiative launched in 2020 to increase diversity in clinical trials: The Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program. Also, the program welcomed a donation of $14 million over the next four years from new program supporter, Gilead Sciences, Inc.

The program, created as one of a number of commitments to health equity and diversity and inclusion made in 2020 by the BMSF and its donor Bristol Myers Squibb, has been named in honor of Robert A. Winn, M.D., Director, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University. Winn is the first African-American director of a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center, and the recipient of numerous honors and awards, such as the NCI Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences Program Lifetime Achievement Award. Serving as Chair of the National Advisory Committee of the BMSF Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Program from its inception, Winn’s guidance was instrumental in shaping the program.“We are proud and overjoyed that Dr. Winn has agreed to put his name on this program,” said John Damonti, president, Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation. “He has been a tireless advocate for the goal of this program -- enabling people of color and underserved populations to benefit more from clinical research. Throughout his distinguished career, he has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to community-engaged research focused on eliminating health inequities. It is largely due to his leadership, expertise, and passion that the program became a reality.”

“I am honored to be such a small part of a big program that will have tremendous impact for years to come,” said Winn.

“We congratulate Dr. Winn on this richly deserved honor,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), chief executive officer of the AACR. “The AACR and the cancer research community as a whole have benefited greatly from his leadership on issues of diversity, equity, and community engagement. His innovative efforts are helping to transform cancer research into a more inclusive field of investigation that supports minority scientists and physicians and understands the urgency of addressing the disparities that have impacted underserved communities for far too long. It is fitting to name this exciting, impactful program after him, and we were pleased to celebrate him and our partnership with BMSF and NMF yesterday at the AACR Annual Meeting Opening Ceremony in New Orleans.”

Developing world-class community-oriented clinical researchers

The Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program includes two awards: the Robert A. Winn Career Development Award for early-stage investigator physicians who are from diverse backgrounds and/or committed to increasing diversity in clinical trials, and the Robert A. Winn Clinical Investigator Pipeline Program Award for medical students who are underrepresented in medicine (URM). The BMSF has committed to support 250 Winn Career Development Awards and 250 Winn Pipeline Awards. In addition, Gilead Sciences has committed to support 10 of each award per year for the next four years.“This program is already developing the capabilities of a diverse group of clinical researchers who are committed to engaging their communities and ensuring that all impacted people are represented in clinical trials, which is essential for a full understanding of how medicines work,” said Merdad Parsey, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, Gilead Sciences. “Gilead is proud to support this work that builds on our existing efforts to ensure that greater inclusion and diversity are embedded into the design of clinical trials and to put the needs of patients first.”

The first cohort of Winn Career Development Award Scholars entered the program in November 2021. These physicians are from 22 states across the U.S. and include 34 women and 18 men who represent a diverse cross section of races and ethnicities, as well as a range of experiences in the therapeutic focus areas of cancer (hematologic and solid tumors), immunologic disorders and cardiovascular diseases. Their two-year participation in the program began with an intensive AACR educational workshop on “best-in-class” clinical trial design, followed by training in the skills and competencies needed to effectively engage with communities to foster trusted relationships aimed at recruiting diverse clinical trial participants. The Winn Career Development Award Scholars are paired in mentoring relationships with established clinical investigators, and also serve as mentors to URM medical students in the Winn Pipeline Award program.

“This program is a game-changer in the fight to advance health equity and to make both the field and practice of clinical research more inclusive. It provides a critical on-ramp for physicians and students underrepresented in medicine to become clinical investigators and lead community-oriented research that benefits all populations,” said Michellene Davis, Esq, President & CEO of National Medical Fellowships. “Community-oriented research, led by diverse clinical trialists, is essential to help dismantle systemic and structural racism and to overcome the well-earned historical and present-day mistrust that communities of color have of medical research. The mentorship woven into the program is essential to career advancement and professional resiliency, which are especially important for those underrepresented in medicine.”

For more information about The Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program established by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, visit diversityinclinicaltrials.org.

About the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation

The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, an independent charitable organization, focuses on communities most at risk of suffering the impacts of serious diseases in regions of the world that are hardest hit. It empowers partners to develop and test innovative solutions to advance health equity and improve access to quality healthcare for patients. Grant making focuses on cancer, cardiovascular disease, and immunologic disease, as well as clinical trial diversity in the United States, and prevalent cancers in nine African countries, Brazil and China. The mission of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation is to promote health equity and improve the health outcomes of populations disproportionately affected by serious diseases by strengthening healthcare worker capacity, integrating medical care and community-based supportive services and mobilizing communities in the fight against disease. For more information, visit Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (bms.com).

About National Medical Fellowships

Seeking to empower and support aspiring physicians and health professionals underrepresented in medicine to contribute to the health of our nation, National Medical Fellowships’ mission is to provide scholarships and support for students underrepresented in medicine and the health professions. Founded in 1946, NMF is one of America’s first diversity organizations. Today, as the only national organization solely dedicated to providing scholarships to medical and health professions students in all groups underrepresented in healthcare, NMF is reducing healthcare disparities by creating new generations of clinicians and healthcare leaders who are dedicated to realizing health equity. NMF is supported by a national network of more than 32,000 Alumni who serve tens of millions of patients annually. Together we continue to move health equity forward as we build the next generation of diverse healthcare leaders. For more information about NMF, visit nmfonline.org.

About the American Association for Cancer Research

Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure all cancers. AACR membership includes more than 50,000 laboratory, translational, and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and patient advocates residing in 129 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the understanding, prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 30 conferences and educational workshops—the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting, with more than 74,000 attendees at the 2020 virtual meetings and more than 22,500 attendees for past in-person meetings. In addition, the AACR publishes 10 prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients, and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the Scientific Partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration, and scientific oversight of team science and individual investigator grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and other policymakers about the value of cancer research and cancer-related sciences in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

About Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis and cancer. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.

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Source: Bristol Myers Squibb Twitter 

52 physicians from across the U.S. selected for the inaugural cohort of the five-year, $100 million initiative. Initiative is part of the BMS Foundation commitment to health equity and diversity and inclusion made last year. Applications are also now open for second cohort to begin in October 2022.

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF), together with its partners, National Medical Fellowships (NMF) and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), today announced the first group of 52 physicians selected for its Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Program (BMSF DCTCDP). The 52 early-stage investigators are the first of 250 community-oriented clinical trialists who will be trained through the program by 2027. 

The 52 physicians selected by an independent selection committee are an accomplished group working at a broad range of healthcare institutions in 22 states across the U.S. The physicians include 34 women and 18 men who represent a diverse cross section of races and ethnicities and bring a widely varied perspective and range of experiences to the program, as well as to their therapeutic focus areas of cancer (hematologic or solid tumors), immunologic disorders and cardiovascular diseases.

“I’m awed by this inaugural group of clinicians, who have demonstrated their passion for and dedication to addressing the disparities in clinical research through community engagement,” said Robert A. Winn, M.D., Director, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Chair of the National Advisory Committee of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Program. “And, I’m confident that when they complete this program, these scholars will have the skills not only to conduct high impact clinical trials, but also to work within communities to build trust with at-risk populations, getting past the fear and skepticism that can often exist, to give the underserved better access to this important tool in healthcare research.”

The BMSF DCTCDP was launched as one of a number of different health equity and diversity and inclusion commitments made last year by the Foundation and its donor, Bristol Myers Squibb.

Building on the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation’s legacy of promoting health equity and improving the health outcomes of populations disproportionately affected by serious diseases, the BMSF DCTCDP was launched to address the lack of diversity in clinical trials in the U.S. In fact, evidence shows that nearly 80% of patients taking part in clinical trials are white.

Through the BMSF DCTCDP, participants will be trained as world-class clinical research scientists with additional knowledge, skills and competencies in effective community outreach and engagement. This new generation of physician investigators will have the potential to transform the clinical research landscape by conducting clinical trials designed with the goal of increasing the diversity of their participants.

A Unique Program Focused on Long-term Outcomes 

“The ultimate aim of this program is to improve public health through the development of therapeutics for all populations,” said Michellene Davis, Esq., President and CEO of NMF. “To truly bring about the change we want and need, we must accept the clarion call to eliminate systemic and structural racism that contribute to racial disparities in healthcare. ​NMF is proud to serve as implementation partner and one of the curriculum partners in this transformative initiative, contributing substantially to its concept, design, development, and management. Community-oriented, equity-minded health professionals are needed more than ever to address the historical causes of mistrust in healthcare systems and increase the engagement and participation of underserved populations.”

The multi-dimensional program is uniquely designed to foster clinical and translational research that is community-informed, designed and conducted. Participants receive training in evidence-based methods of community outreach and engagement. They participate in a multi-level mentorship model with established community-based Principal Investigators and with medical students through a major component of the program called the Clinical Investigator Pipeline Program (CIPP). The CIPP is an intensive summer service-learning externship that exposes promising rising second year medical students who are underrepresented in medicine to the basics of clinical trials and to working in underserved community health settings to provide outreach, education and engagement on clinical trials.

“Many aspects of the Winn Career Development Awards make it unique,” said Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, M.D., Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health. “Its focus on helping clinical trialists become experienced in community engagement research methods is key to developing the trust necessary to realize an increase in clinical trial participation by people of color, yet we have not seen this in any other program of this kind. The program is also designed for long-term impact -- engaging both practicing clinical trial physicians and diverse medical students, developing mentoring relationships that will build a pipeline of clinicians that are skilled in clinical trial diversity. All of these elements are rarely found.”

John Damonti, president, Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, said that the response to the BMSF DCTCDP has been overwhelming. “The number of applicants exceeded our expectations, as did the stellar credentials of the physicians who applied. In fact, we expanded the cohort to include as many of these exceptional candidates as possible.” He added that the BMSF DCTCDP is a significant priority for the Foundation, which has been working for decades to improve health equity in the United States and around the world. “I could not be more pleased that we are realizing our vision for this program.”

“We are thrilled to contribute in a major way to this extraordinary program,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), Chief Executive Officer of the AACR. “This educational workshop will provide these early-career physicians with the remarkable opportunity to interact with and be mentored by leading clinical investigators, as well as leading biostatisticians and community engagement experts to learn the principles of excellent clinical trial design, and to develop the skill sets needed for building community networks. This program, along with the long-term mentorship offered to the participants, will prepare them to become independent clinical trialists and have the overarching benefit of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

The first cohort of scholars will begin their two-year participation in October 2021 with a program orientation, followed in early November by a six-day intensive educational workshop on clinical research, called BMSF-AACR Design and Implementation of Clinical Trials Workshop.

Applications for Future Participants – Cohort II Physicians and Cohort I Medical Students 

Letters of intent are being accepted now through January 14, 2022 for the second cohort of clinical trial physicians. For medical students, the application period for the CIPP will open on November 15, 2021, and close on January 28, 2022. Interested applicants can learn more and apply by visiting the program website at www.diversityinclinicaltrials.org. 

About the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation 

The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, an independent charitable organization, focuses on communities most at risk of suffering the impacts of serious diseases in regions of the world that are hardest hit. It empowers partners to develop and test innovative solutions to advance health equity and improve access to quality healthcare for patients. Grant making focuses on cancer, cardiovascular disease, and immunologic disease, as well as clinical trial diversity in the United States, and prevalent cancers in nine African countries, Brazil and China. The mission of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation is to promote health equity and improve the health outcomes of populations disproportionately affected by serious diseases by strengthening healthcare worker capacity, integrating medical care and community-based supportive services and mobilizing communities in the fight against disease. For more information, visit Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (bms.com). 

About National Medical Fellowships 

Seeking to empower and support aspiring physicians and health professionals underrepresented in medicine to contribute to the health of our nation, National Medical Fellowships’ mission is to provide scholarships and support for students underrepresented in medicine and the health professions.

Founded in 1946, NMF is one of America’s first diversity organizations. Today, as the only national organization solely dedicated to providing scholarships to medical and health professions students in all groups underrepresented in healthcare, NMF is reducing healthcare disparities by creating new generations of clinicians and healthcare leaders who are dedicated to realizing health equity.

NMF is supported by a national network of more than 32,000 Alumni who serve tens of millions of patients annually. Together we continue to move health equity forward as we build the next generation of diverse healthcare leaders. For more information about NMF, please visit www.nmfonline.org.

About the American Association for Cancer Research

Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes 49,000 laboratory, translational, and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and patient advocates residing in 128 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 30 conferences and educational workshops—the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting, with more than 74,000 attendees for the 2020 virtual meetings and more than 22,500 attendees for past in-person meetings. In addition, the AACR publishes nine prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients, and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the Scientific Partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration, and scientific oversight of team science and individual investigator grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and other policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

Footnote

1. https://www.fda.gov/media/143592/download

About Bristol Myers Squibb Company

Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop, and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

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media@bms.com

Source: Bristol Myers Squibb 

There's a Stunning Lack of Diversity in Clinical Trials. Can Philanthropy Move the Needle?

Calls for equity in our healthcare system are growing louder every day—from the need to boost access to care, to the push for more doctors of color. For years, there has also been a stunning lack of diversity in clinical trials, an area of medicine with a low profile but a tremendous impact. 

One big pharmaceutical company’s foundation is now tackling this issue, which has proven stubbornly resistant to change. The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, in partnership with National Medical Fellowships, just announced a new push to improve diversity in clinical trials. 

The Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Program will train 250 new clinical investigators who are racially and ethnically diverse or have shown a commitment to diversity in medical trials. The program also seeks to introduce minority medical students to clinical research career pathways and increase the number of clinical trials located in communities of color and underserved areas of the country. 

The program is part of a five-year, $300 million commitment on the part of global pharmaceutical giant Bristol Myers Squibb and its foundation to “accelerate and expand health equity, and diversity and inclusion efforts.” Out of that pledge, $100 million will support the clinical trials initiative.

A moral and scientific imperative

Today, close to 80% of participants in clinical research trials are white, according to the Food and Drug Administration; only 7% are Black. This homogeneity is consistent across many areas of medical research: A 2019 report published in JAMA Oncology found that Black and Hispanic people were severely underrepresented in cancer clinical trials, for example, and STAT reported that Hispanics make up just 0.54% of participants in genome-wide association studies. 

This issue isn’t new. The National Institutes of Health Revitalization Act, passed by Congress in 1993, required the NIH to include more women and people of color in research studies. It was partially successful: The participation of women in clinical trials has increased significantly, but racial diversity continues to lag. 

Diversity in clinical trials isn’t a simple issue of fairness. We now know that individual factors, including race and ethnicity, can and do influence how a person responds to illness and treatment. As researchers put it in a recent report, “To ensure that medical discoveries, new treatments and interventions are applicable to all populations for whom they are intended, appropriately representative clinical trial diversity is a moral, scientific and medical imperative.”

Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF) President John Damonti agrees: “We now know that medical treatments don’t work the same way for everyone, and we need to understand that if we are going to provide the best possible care.” 

Barriers to diversity

Diversity in medical trials has been hard to achieve for reasons that range from the historical to the practical. Even when researchers try to diversify their trials, many people of color are reluctant to participate. This mistrust is entirely understandable, given shameful abuses like the Tuskegee experiment, the exploitation of Henrietta Lacks and the forced sterilization of many Blacks, Indigenous people, immigrants and people with disabilities conducted throughout the U.S. into the 20th century.

Damonti points out that the location of clinical trials can also present a barrier. “Many clinical trials are conducted at large urban academic centers,” he says. “These are excellent institutions, but they are not always conducive or welcoming to minority patients, and they’re not necessarily where they get their regular care. Transportation can also be a barrier. And, of course, very few clinical trials are located in rural areas.”

Damonti hopes that BMSF’s partnership with National Medical Fellowships (NMF) will help break down these barriers. NMF, which was founded in 1946, provides scholarships and support to minority students in healthcare. 

“For 70 years, NMF has been a leader in the support of underrepresented minorities in medical schools,” Damonti said. “That is their sweet spot. They have an enormous network of medical students and medical professionals who live in and are able to connect to diverse communities across the country.”  

Perhaps unsurprising, main funders in this space include other pharmaceutical companies and their foundations. Amgen has supported clinical trial diversity, and more recently, Novartis US Foundation made a $25 million commitment to health equity with a focus on making trials more diverse.

Damonti believes BMSF’s approach will be more effective than past efforts. He points out that BMSF has been around for 21 years, and has developed a track record of healthcare philanthropy around the world. This new initiative actually grew out of the foundation’s work treating HIV/AIDS patients in Africa in the 1990s.

“We learned then that to reach people, it couldn’t be done out of New York City,” he said. “To build trust, we had to have staff on the ground who were from the communities where we were working. We’ve seen it through the years of clinical trials: Patients are more likely to participate through the course of a trial and be consistent in their participation if they trust the people treating them. And we’re creating a cadre of professionals that will be continuing this work over the long term.”

“A stake in the ground on health equity”

BMSF was already planning to launch an initiative to improve diversity in clinical trials when the layered crises of 2020 hit—and made the need even more urgent. “We were planning to train a smaller number of investigators,” Damonti said. “Then COVID-19 hit and George Floyd was killed. The company decided they wanted to put a stake in the ground on the issue of health equity. At the foundation, we said, ‘If we really want to move the needle on health equity, let’s make this program more significant.’ And the company agreed.”   

Will BMSF’s approach succeed where other efforts have failed? Damonti himself is hopeful, but waiting to be convinced. The upstream strategy of backing the very people who will be conducting clinical trials is a strategic one, but also takes time and requires a leap of faith.

“Training these investigators is important,” he said. “But if in five years, I tell you, ‘We’ve trained 250 investigators, here they are,’ and they haven’t been able to increase the diversity of clinical trials, then we won’t have achieved our goals.” 

By Connie Matthiessen, Inside Philanthropy 

View Source Version on Endpoints News at: https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2020/12/9/theres-a-stunning-lack-of-diversity-in-clinical-trials-can-philanthropy-move-the-needle?utm_content=buffer3df7b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation Launches Program to Tackle Diversity Problem in Clinical Trials

Over the last several months, the pandemic has amplified calls for more diverse clinical trials.

While minority populations are contracting Covid-19 at higher rates than white Americans, they are notably underrepresented in clinical trials. Black Americans make up 13% of the US population, but only 7% of participants in clinical trials, according to the FDA. And they’re being infected with Covid-19 at a 2.6 times higher rate than white Americans.

“The importance of diversity in the clinical trials for the vaccines is just another spotlight on an issue that’s been going on for decades,” John Damonti, president of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, told Endpoints News. 

On Tuesday, the foundation launched a new program with the nonprofit organization National Medical Fellowships and backed it with $100 million to help clinical trials reach underserved populations. The program consists of three parts: a training component for 250 new clinical investigators, fellowships for 250 minority medical students, and an infrastructure fund to help investigators build new clinical trial sites.

The new sites, he said, would ideally go “in clinical trial deserts where … the disease burden is high but clinical trials don’t exist in those sites, or even look to building out in urban centers through safety net hospitals and others.”

Principal investigators will mentor the new clinical investigators who will mentor the medical students, who will work in federally qualified health centers, safety net hospitals and other medical centers in their communities.

“At the end of the day, even if you have 250 diverse clinical investigators, if they’re not actively working in the communities to build those relationships and build that trust, the program will not be as successful as it potentially could be,” Damonti said.

The money comes from a $300 million commitment that Bristol Myers Squibb and its foundation made back in August for health equity, diversity and inclusion efforts. National Medical Fellowships will help with implementation, such as managing components of the application process and an independent advisory board.

Applications will open in January for clinical investigators, and Damonti expects the first class to begin sometime in September.

“While the patient response to medical therapies may differ across racial and ethnic subgroups, clinical trials often fail to represent the demographic diversity of the populations that these products aim to serve,” said Robert Winn, director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and chair of the national advisory committee of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation’s new program.

Black Americans made up 20% of participants in the NIAID-funded ACTT-1 trial of remdesivir, according to a New England Journal of Medicine piece. And Latinx and Native Americans, who are at a 2.8 times higher risk of infection than white Americans, made up 23% and 0.7% of the ACTT-1 participants, respectively.

The issue isn’t unique to the pandemic. Out of 230 trials leading to FDA oncology OKs in the last decade or so, Black and Latinx participants were “underrepresented… relative to their proportion among the US cancer population,” according to a piece published in JAMA last year.

“The real outcome, and the impact of this program is going to be measured by the role that these individuals can play in terms of attracting diverse patient populations into clinical trials. That’s what this program has been created to do,” Damonti said. “We just want to make sure that the end of the day it’s the patient that gets into the trial.”

By Nicole DeFeudis, Associate Editor, Endpoints News

View Source Version on Endpoints News at: https://endpts.com/bristol-myers-squibb-foundation-launches-program-to-tackle-diversity-problem-in-clinical-trials/

Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation and National Medical Fellowships Launch Program to Help Increase Diversity and Inclusion

The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation and National Medical Fellowships have announced that they have entered into a partnership aimed at improving diversity in clinical trials. Leveraging $100 million of the previously announced commitment from Bristol Myers Squibb and the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation to diversity and inclusion, the partnership will develop a program to extend the reach of clinical trials into underserved patient populations in urban and rural U.S. communities, training and developing 250 new clinical investigators who are racially and ethnically diverse or who have a demonstrated commitment to increasing diversity in clinical trials.

“Clinical research is necessary to generate evidence demonstrating the efficacy and safety of new treatments,” said Robert Winn, MD, Director, Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, who is serving as chair of the national advisory committee of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Program. “While the patient response to medical therapies may differ across racial and ethnic subgroups, clinical trials often fail to represent the demographic diversity of the populations that these products aim to serve. I am proud to serve as an advisor to this program, which will support improvements toward diverse representation in clinical research and promote health equity.”

View Source Version on Applied Clinical Trials at: https://www.appliedclinicaltrialsonline.com/view/bristol-myers-squibb-foundation-and-national-medical-fellowships-launch-program-to-help-increase-diversity-and-inclusion