This Marks the First Innovative Partnership between Lazarex and a Pharmaceutical Company for this Purpose

DANVILLE, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, October 2, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Lazarex Cancer Foundation, an advocacy group dedicated to improving access to cancer clinical trials and Oncopeptides, a pharmaceutical company focused on the development of targeted therapies for difficult-to-treat hematological diseases, today announced a partnership to help remove financial barriers to patients participating in Oncopeptides’ sEAPort expanded access program.

Less than five percent of participants in clinical trials are from minority populations, and many patients eligible for cancer clinical trials do not enroll due to financial hardship. Through this partnership, the Lazarex Cancer Foundation and Oncopeptides are working together to increase the enrollment of minority and low-income cancer patients in a clinical trial to treat multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma disproportionately affects African Americans, yet enrollment of African American patients in cancer clinical trials is traditionally a fraction of that of their white counterparts. A recent study indicates that Black patients die at a higher rate than white patients due to socioeconomic barriers that limit access to timely, appropriate, and high-quality medical care.

“Because poverty disproportionately affects our minority communities, it is important to intentionally remove the financial barriers to cancer clinical trials and expanded access program and create equitable access. Oncopeptides values this aspect of our PATH program and is going the extra mile,” said, Dana Dornsife, CEO & Founder, Lazarex Cancer Foundation.

The Oncopeptides sEAPort trial is an Early Access Program (EAP) for eligible patients being with triple-class refractory / relapsed multiple myeloma. Oncopeptides recently announced that one of the EAP sites is ready to enroll patients and Oncopeptides anticipates more sites will be added soon. More information on the EAP can be found on the Oncopeptides USA Website at https://oncopeptides-us.com/en/expanded-access-program/

“Through our partnership with Lazarex, reimbursement may be available for the travel expenses a patient incurs due to their participation in the Oncopeptides Early Access Program,” said Paula O’Connor, M.D., U.S. Head of Medical Affairs at Oncopeptides. “We hope that this will help to ease the financial burden that is often associated with seeking treatment and ultimately provide more equitable access to eligible patients.”

The Lazarex PATH program (Patient Access Transforming Health) is a sustainable and transactional expense reimbursement platform for patients’ clinical trial related travel expenses. The program offers a pathway to reduce disparities in cancer treatment access and outcomes and improve minority participation in drug development to benefit all cancer patients.

“This is the culmination of more than ten years of advocacy work to remove the financial burden of out of pocket travel expenses for people participating in clinical trials and expanded access programs,” said Dana Dornsife. “At Lazarex Cancer Foundation we have been working to create a system in which sponsors will reimburse these costs, address the appallingly low inclusion of minorities, and create a sustainable platform for equitable access. This is the first collaboration of this kind that we’ve done with a pharmaceutical company, and it takes us one step closer to our goal.”

About Lazarex Cancer Foundation

The unique mission of Lazarex is to improve the outcome of cancer care—giving hope, dignity and life to advanced stage cancer patients and the medically underserved by providing assistance with costs for FDA clinical trial participation, identification of clinical trial options, community outreach and engagement. Learn more at https://lazarex.org/.

Laura Evans Manatos
Laura Evans Media
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