About TLSF
The Texas Life Science Foundation (TLSF) is a 501c (3) nonprofit foundation founded by the Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute (www.THBI.com) in 1997, to serve as a base for its nonprofit programs and research in biosciences and education. TLSF works with healthcare advocacy groups, government, Texas’s academic medical institutions, and the bioscience industry to design, develop, and deliver programs in education and patient and public services to serve Texas’ citizens and communities.
In 2001, TLSF facilitated a grant to the University of Texas Center for Pharmaco-economic Studies. In 2005, TLSF’s secured $1 million grant from Toyota to support Texas’ participation in the Aichi-USA Expo 2005.
Texas Law Removes Barrier to Clinical Trials
(September 1, 2009) – Effective September 1, 2009, Texas joins 27 states that require health benefit plans to cover routine costs for patients enrolled in clinical trials such as those for cancer and other life threatening diseases. Routine costs are medically necessary health services, such as doctor visits, hospital stays, tests, and x-rays-- care that patients with health insurance coverage would receive as a covered benefit even if they were not in a clinical trial. The 81st Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 39, and Governor Perry signed the bill on June 19, 2009. View the entire press release here.
The Texas Clinical Trial Network (TCTN) is a project of the Texas Life Science Foundation with a mission to “Accelerate the success of clinical research and advanced medical technologies in Texas to prevent and control cancer and other life threatening diseases.”
TCTN is focused first on oncology treatment trials, and then as opportunities arise, will expand services to other diseases and trials. TCTN’s objectives are to:
1) Expand recruitment, especially among underserved and minority communities;
2) Accelerate enrollment into trials through personalized patient navigation; and
3) Support trial retention and communication using social networks.
TCTN will provide education and direct benefits to Texas cancer patients and caregivers, advocacy groups, community and research physicians. Through supporting cancer clinical trial enrollment via personalized patient matching and navigation to trials, TCTN delivers direct services to Texas cancer patients and their families. A statewide infrastructure for cancer and other clinical trials will, once developed, enhance Texas’ capabilities in translational clinical research. TCTN’s innovative services and new technologies and processes for patient navigation offer significant financial and social returns on investment for Texas.