Caris Life Sciences is addressing the significant access gap in cancer clinical trials with its innovative Right-In-Time (RIT) solution, aimed at expanding the reach of precision oncology to community practices across the U.S.
The urgency to bridge the geographic divide in cancer trial access is underscored by research indicating that 70% of U.S. counties lack active cancer treatment trials. This limitation affects nearly 20% of older Americans, who do not have local options for investigational therapies. Despite the fact that 85% of cancer patients are treated in community settings, most clinical trials are still concentrated in major academic institutions. A meta-analysis revealed that while over half of cancer patients offered trial participation agree to join, access and infrastructure remain the primary hurdles.
Caris's RIT solution aims to tackle these challenges by facilitating the deployment of clinical trials directly to community oncology sites. This system enables swift patient enrollment, moving from molecular profiling to trial participation in as little as five days. By keeping patients under the care of their existing oncologists, the solution preserves continuity of care and alleviates the need for travel to distant academic centers. Currently, the program boasts a network of over 600 locations and 2,200 investigators, having identified more than 71,000 patients for potential trial participation.
Furthermore, a study led by Caris involving over 295,000 cancer patients highlighted a critical issue: many eligible patients do not receive approved therapies due to oncologists' limited familiarity with rare mutations. The RIT solution integrates comprehensive molecular profiling with an automated trial-matching platform, ensuring that patients can access appropriate trials based on their unique genetic profiles. This approach not only enhances patient care but also aims to eliminate disparities in access to cutting-edge treatments, ensuring that geographic location does not dictate treatment options.