64 physicians comprise Cohort II, bringing
the total to 116 participants in the program’s second year
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).
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221025005926/en/
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.
Philanthropy-news
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221025005926/en/
Media: media@bms.com
Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024