David E. Wilson, Gov. Tom Wolf, Kenny Simansky and Dana Dornsife.
In October, Drexel alumna and benefactor Dana Dornsife ’83 joined Governor Tom Wolf in Harrisburg for a ceremonial signing of Act 93.
The new law is aimed at improving patient access to clinical trials and ensuring that trials have participation from a diverse population.
Dornsife, who is the founder and board chair of the Lazarex Cancer Foundation, worked closely with Drexel leaders (including President John Fry, College of Medicine Vice Dean for Research Kenny Simansky and Vice President in the Office of Government and Community Relations David E. Wilson) and the Wolf Administration and the General Assembly over the past three years to garner the necessary support for this issue.
The law is a step toward addressing race-related health disparities. Consider that African Americans are two to three times more likely than white citizens to be affected by multiple myeloma, and yet they make up only 4.5 percent of participants enrolled in clinical trials for treatments targeting the cancer.
For many, expenses such as transportation and lodging are an insurmountable barrier.
Act 93 allows cancer trial participants to get reimbursed for related out-of-pocket expenses, helping to remove barriers for financially burdened patient-subjects.