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–Calif.) and August Pfluger (R–Fla.), 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

This press release was originally published in August 2025, by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. It is republished with permission.