That is excellent news. Note that this is a culmination (first one, in this realm) of one of the very important goals that have been identified by Alfacell's management - true to their statements and in timely fashion. IMO, this is clearly indicative that the company is on the right track.
On another subject, I just read the following, which may affect the facility to get candidates for clinical trials:
Medscape
Capitol Comments
Clinical Trials
Author: Jamie Young
[Oncology Issues 12(3):6, 8 1997. Association of Community Cancer Centers]
Introduction
Both Congress and the state legislatures have been cranking up the legislative process this spring to a level of activity on cancer-related issues that has not been matched in recent memory.
On February 27, U.S. Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) and Connie Mack (R-Fla.) reintroduced bipartisan legislation that would initiate a five-year demonstration project in which Medicare recipients enrolled in cancer clinical trials would have their routine patient care costs covered. The bill currently has twenty-four of their Senate colleagues listed as cosponsors.
ACCC was present at a congressional luncheon briefing on S. 381, The Medicare Cancer Clinical Trial Coverage Act of 1997, a few days prior to the official introduction of the legislation. Speakers at the well-attended luncheon, in addition to the senators themselves, included cancer patient advocates and cancer researchers who shared their knowledge of the success and opportunities in cancer research and treatment.
Under the bill, which will be considered by the Senate Finance Committee, Medicare would cover "routine patient care costs," including physician charges, hospital costs, and routine diagnostic tests. These costs would otherwise be covered under Medicare if the patient were not participating in a clinical trial. The cost of
investigational drugs or devices would continue to be covered by the research sponsor, as would research costs such as data collection and analysis. Similar legislation is expected to be introduced in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Nancy L. Johnson (R-Conn.).
At the recent ACCC Governmental Affairs Forum, held during the Association's 23rd Annual National Meeting in Washington, D.C., Mark Smith of Senator Mack's office stressed the importance of S. 381. He encouraged ACCC members to contact their elected representatives and to invite their legislators to tour our cancer centers to learn first hand about cancer care and clinical research.
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Regards,
Gil |
