After a two-year pilot period, the Clinical Trials Access Collaborative (CTAC) has officially launched as a nonprofit meant to expand access to clinical trials.
Having already worked with clinical trial sites in more than 14 states, the CTAC will now take its work nationwide, the nonprofit said in a May 20 release. To that end, the CTAC is launching a campaign to raise $50 million, with early funder Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) already pitching in an additional $2 million.
The CTAC started its work as part of a two-year pilot program under the collaborative effort called Equitable Breakthroughs in Medicine Development (EQBMED) between university groups and industry partners. Now, the EQBMED has transitioned into the "formalized non-profit organization" called the CTAC, according to its website.
The CTAC plans to use the funds to develop mentoring hubs and a workforce development program and continue supporting the 10 initial sites from the learning phase, while also expanding to 15 new sites. The funds are also meant to help the CTAC "ensure sustainability" as a standalone organization.
“The launch of CTAC represents more than a continuation of the work—it represents a strong foundation and a clear path forward,” Richard Moscicki, M.D., chair of the CTAC’s board of directors, said in the release. “We are building a future where access to medical innovation is no longer dictated by geography, financial burden, or simply not being invited to participate.”
Moscicki previously served as the deputy center director for science operations at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Former FDA leader Janet Woodcock, M.D., is also on the CTAC’s board, along with Big Pharma vet Freda Lewis-Hall, M.D., who most recently spent 11 years at Pfizer.
The CTAC spent its trial period building capacity and fostering partnerships, with the fledgling organization already helping place more than 20 clinical trials with over 4,600 participants, according to the release.
Part of the CTAC’s buildup featured the development of a site assessment model to help trial sites evaluate their ability to run diverse trials and plan how to improve in health equity. The model was published in Trials on Nov. 14.
Supporting partners in the CTAC include the Yale School of Medicine, the Morehouse School of Medicine, the Research Centers in Minority Institutions Coordinating Center at the Morehouse School of Medicine and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Merck & Co. and Amgen became the initiative’s first industry partners in September 2024.
The EQBMED initiative got its start from PhRMA in 2022, with the trade organization pledging $10 million to get the work off the ground.