Cancer center tripling clinical trials on back of $3.5 million donation

University Hospitals' Seidman Cancer Center will be tripling its clinical trial capabilities within the next five years, following a $3.5 million cash infusion by a frequent donor.

The Les Coleman Clinical Trials Center offers more than 400 clinical trials annually. The donation was made by Lester Coleman Jr.'s widow, Kathy Coleman, who has given more than $14 million to UH over the past several years. 

"Clinical trials are critical for so many reasons," Kathy Coleman said. "On a global level, they help advance research and move us closer to cures. But for individuals and families, I know personally the hope they bring. When you're sitting with someone you love and everything feels dark and final, a clinical trial and the life-extending potential it carries is a bright spot, even if it comes with no guarantees."  

Following renovations, UH will relocate the Coleman Clinical Trials Center into a dedicated, 16,000-square-feet space on the main campus. 

The move, UH said, will centralize care for clinical trial patients and make way for new machinery that will expand investigation into theranostics and other diagnostic-based trials. It will also enable UH to triple patient capacity within the next five years.

As a member of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, UH Seidman Cancer Center has access to the newest clinical trials and is one of only seven cancer centers in the country with access to a pipeline of novel drugs from the National Cancer Institute. 

UH is also only one of 11 academic medical centers to successfully manufacture CAR T-cells for patient use. The UH Wesley Center for Immunotherapy can create these cells in just 24 hours, officials said, compared with the industry standard of 12-30 days. 

Bolstered by the donation, officials said this will enable UH Seidman Cancer Center to build one of the nation's premier Phase 1 Clinical Trials programs.

"As a disease, cancer takes a devastating toll on patients, families and communities," said Quintin Pan, Ph.D., deputy director for research, UH Seidman Cancer Center and Dr. Lester E. Coleman Jr. chair in cancer research and therapeutics. "Because of Kathy, we will be able to push the boundaries of discovery and bring tomorrow's treatments to our patients today, offering them new hope."