Health Equity
While Cures Within Reach is disease-agnostic and geography-agnostic, we – along with specific funding partners – have strategic interests in specific population groups. Therefore, in addition to our disease-specific and geographic repurposing communities, we have Health Equity Community supporting Health Equity efforts (including Women’s Health) utilizing the speed and cost-effectiveness of testing already approved therapies in new indications across the US and in Low and Lower-Middle Income Countries (LMICs). Our Goal: improve the quality and length of life of underrepresented patients as well as to support underrepresented / under-resourced researchers.
We support Health Equity efforts by finding and funding clinical repurposing projects to reduce health disparities and improve overall health equity and clinical trial enrollment stratification:
- To positively impact health disparities such as Women’s Health (including engagement of community-based health and social services organizations)
- Led by underrepresented researchers – such as women principal investigators – in any disease area (underrepresented according to past NIH reports)
- To impact patients living in low and lower-middle income countries (LMICs, as defined by the World Bank) and support under-resourced researchers
Read our news release from December 9, 2024 here, describing the 6 LMIC-based clinical trials selected in 2024!
Read our news release from January 23, 2024 here, describing the 4 LMIC-based clinical trials selected in 2023!
Read our news release, describing the 8 DEI clinical trials selected for funding in 2022 and now underway!
Open Funding Opportunities in Health Equity:
- Clinical Trials to Validate AI-Driven Drug Repurposing: now accepting submissions of investigator-initiated, proof of concept, Phase I or Phase IIA clinical trials to validate artificial intelligence (AI)-driven repurposing opportunities in any unsolved disease, where the therapies supported by AI models are already approved. Eligible clinical repurposing trials must include AI-generated data as part of the preclinical support for the trial. Budget: up to $100,000, including a 10% institutional match, with additional funds available for community engagement. More information here. SUBMISSIONS DUE AUGUST 25, 2025.
- ReGRoW: Funding for Under-resourced Researchers in Low and Lower-Middle Income Countries 2025: accepting budgets of up to $65,000 for clinical repurposing trials in any disease led by an under-resourced researcher in any LMIC, as defined by the World Bank. LOI DEADLINE CLOSED; SUBMISSIONS UNDER REVIEW
- Repurposing Research for Chicago 2025: Health Equity is one of four Chicago RFP tracks. Accepting budgets of up to $100,000 for clinical repurposing trials from Chicago area research institutions. Specific focus areas for the other tracks include Early Stage Investigators, Pediatrics and Veterans/Military issues. LOI DEADLINE CLOSED; SUBMISSIONS UNDER REVIEW
- Track 1 – Health Equity: clinical repurposing trials that 1) address health disparities, including women’s health, among underrepresented patients OR 2) are led by an underrepresented researcher OR both 1) and 2).
More information on our Funding Opportunities / RFPs page.
Our ongoing Health Equity trials:
Cures Within Reach’s Health Equity approach is explained in this Pharmacy Times interview (Nov 2021)
Researcher Spotlight: Dr. McKenzie-Brown of Emory University
Researcher Spotlight: Dr. Ntekim of University College Hospital Ibadan in Nigeria
Researcher Spotlight: Dr. Phillips of City Hope
Cures Within Reach thanks our funding partners:
for its lead support of our effort to impact health disparities and build the pipeline of underrepresented researchers across Chicagoland.
Our Health Equity efforts include clinical trials
1) to impact health disparities of underrepresented patients;
2) to build the pipeline of US-based underrepresented researchers; and
3) to build the pipeline of LMIC-based under-resourced researchers.
The full list of all of our ongoing Health Equity-related clinical trials is below. Examples include:
 Dr. Hamaluba researching snakebites in Kenya (completed) |
 Dr. Nguyen researching a rare pediatric liver disease biliary atresia in Vietnam |
 Dr. Gordon researching pediatric osteosarcoma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
Thanks to additional philanthropic support from:
Current Health Equity Trials
Health Equity: Completed Trials and Press Releases
(in the past 3 years)
Events and Media
CureAccelerator Live! for DEI
October 2022
Virtual
4 finalists from institutions across the US compete for up to $70,000 in clinical funding for trials impacting health disparities and/or led by racial/ethnic minority researchers.
Diversity of Clinical Trial Researchers and Patients: A Repurposing Opportunity?
November 2021
Virtual
A dialogue on the dual opportunities of clinical trial diversity to impact health disparities and/or improve minority leadership in scientific research.
Real World Data Through a Patient’s Lens
October 2021
Virtual
A conversation on Real World Data (RWD) and case reports from clinicians and researchers.
Learn about our Health Disparities project in COVID-19 focused on Black and Latinx communities by watching Dr. Meltzer of University of Chicago interviewed on ABC7 Chicago and Fox Chicago and reading more in the Chicago Tribune.
Cure Accelerator Live! for Chicago 2020
September 2020
Virtual
Four finalists from Chicago-based institutions competing for up to $50,000 to fund their repurposing clinical trials, including a minority-led project. Watch Dr. Lindsey pitch his project.
CureAccelerator Live! for Rare Diseases 2020
June 2020
Virtual
Five finalists from the US competing for up to $50,000 to fund their repurposing clinical trials impacting rare disease patients – including a minority led project. Read more about Dr. Phillips’ project and watch him pitch it.
CureAccelerator Live! for the Developing World 2019
May 2019
Boston, MA
Five finalists from the US and India competing for up to $50,000 to fund their repurposing clinical trials impacting patients in the Developing World.