More Than 100 Patient and Health Care Professional Groups Express Support for Bill that Would Make It Easier for Patients to Participate in Clinical Trials
The Bipartisan Clinical Trial Modernization Act Would Help Eliminate Cost and Geographic Barriers to Clinical Trials
WASHINGTON, DC – August 18, 2025 – More than 100 organizations representing millions of patients with serious health conditions and health care professionals sent a letter to Congress expressing their strong support for the Clinical Trial Modernization Act. Introduced in the House of Representatives in May 2025 by Reps. Raul Ruiz (D-CA) and August Pfluger (R-FL), the bipartisan legislation would help remove cost and geographic barriers to patient participation in clinical trials.
Clinical trials are key to advancing new standards of care that can improve survival and quality of life for people with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Yet, out-of-pocket costs associated with trial participation are often a barrier to enrollment. Length and frequency of travel to clinical trial sites are also commonly cited as barriers to clinical trial participation.
Moreover, despite an increased burden of disease and an equal willingness to participate, some groups are underrepresented in clinical trials, including older adults, people who live in rural areas, certain racial and ethnic groups, and people with limited incomes.
Provisions in the Clinical Trial Modernization Act would enable clinical trial sponsors to provide financial support to patients for costs associated with their trial participation, including medical expenses like copays and non-medical expenses such as travel, parking, food and lodging. The provisions in the bill would also allow trial sponsors to provide patients with the technology needed to facilitate remote participation in clinical trials. These and other provisions would help ensure that all patients are able to participate in clinical trials.
Below is an excerpt from the letter:
“Studies have shown that offering to reimburse patients for non-medical costs associated with trials can increase overall enrollment and may also increase participation from underrepresented groups...
“For these reasons, we are excited by the introduction of the Clinical Trial Modernization Act, which would make it easier for people to participate in clinical trials by reducing barriers they currently face…
“These important provisions are key to increasing clinical trial participation and, thereby, driving innovation and the development of new treatments. This benefits not only trial participants, but all of us.”
###
List of organizations:
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators
Academy of Physicians in Clinical Research
ADAP Advocacy Association
Alliance for Aging Research
Alliance for Patient Access
Alliance for Women's Health and Prevention
American Association of Clinical Urologists (AACU)
American College of Chest Physicians
American Lung Association
American Pharmacists Association
American Society for Radiation Oncology
AnCan Foundation
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Association for Clinical Oncology
Association of American Cancer Institutes
Association of Black Cardiologists
Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC)
Bag It Cancer
Biomarker Collaborative
BLKHLTH
The Breasties
Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer
CancerCare
Cancer Hope Network
Cancer Nation (formerly the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship)
Cancer Support Community
Caregiver Action Network
Carolina BioOncology Institute
Cheeky Charity
Children’s Cancer Cause
CLL Society
Colorectal Cancer Alliance
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
CureSearch for Children's Cancer
Debbie's Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer
Delta for Women in Action
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
Diabetes Leadership Council
Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition
Dia de la Mujer Latina, INC.
Epilepsy Foundation of America
Exon 20 Group
Fight Colorectal Cancer
FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered
Friends of Cancer Research
GBS|CIDP Foundation International
Gerontological Society of America
GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality
Global Liver Institute
GO2 for Lung Cancer
Haystack Project
The Headache & Migraine Policy Forum
HealthyWomen
Highlander Health Institute
Hope for Stomach Cancer
ICAN, International Cancer Advocacy Network
Infinite Strength, Inc.
International Myeloma Foundation
KidneyCAN
Large Urology Group Practice Association (LUGPA)
Lazarex Cancer Foundation
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Life Raft Group
Livestrong
LUNGevity Foundation
Lupus Foundation of America
Lymphoma Research Foundation
Male Breast Cancer Global Alliance
Malecare Cancer Support
Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA)
Men's Health Network
MET Crusaders
Mighty Millie Foundation
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
Myasthenia Gravis Association
NAACP
National Alliance for Caregiving
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
National Association of Hispanic Nurses
National Black Nurses Association, Inc
National Bone Marrow Transplant Link
National Brain Tumor Society
National Comprehensive Cancer Network
National Consumers League
National Council of Urban Indian Health
National Health Council
National Hispanic Health Foundation
National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA)
National LGBT Cancer Project
National Minority Quality Forum
National Organization for Rare Disorders
National Rural Health Association
National Scleroderma Foundation
National Urban League
NMDP (formerly National Marrow Donor Program)
Oncology Nursing Society
Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN)
PAN Foundation
Patients Rising
PDL1 Amplifieds
Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation
Pennsylvania Prostate Cancer Coalition (PPCC)
PlusInc
Prevent Cancer Foundation
Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association
Prostate Conditions Education Council
Prostate Health Education Network
Pulmonary Hypertension Association
Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research
Rare Disease Diversity Coalition
Rural Minds
Scout Clinical
Sharsheret
Sisters Network Inc.
Society for Women's Health Research
Stupid Cancer, Inc.
Susan G. Komen
Team PHenomenal Hope
Tigerlily Foundation
TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance
Triage Cancer
Unite for HER
wAIHA Warriors
Women As One
WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease
Young Adult Survivors United
Young Survival Coalition (YSC)
ZERO Prostate Cancer