Cures Within Reach

10/09/2026

We recently started funding a underway in disorders of consciousness at Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare validating an AI drug disease match led by Dr. Caroline Schnakers: Using a Diabetic Drug to Restore Awareness to Patients with Reduced Consciousness
https://www.cureswithinreach.org/2026/05/28/using-a-diabetic-drug-to-restore-awareness-to-patients-with-reduced-consciousness/
Summary: Every year, people suffer severe brain injuries that lead to prolonged disorders of consciousness (DOC), such as a vegetative or minimally conscious state. These conditions can last for years, placing a great burden on patients, families and health care systems, with limited effectiveness of current therapeutic interventions. The research team developed an artificial intelligence (AI) approach to identify repurposed therapies for DOC and uncovered a potential role for saxagliptin, a type 2 diabetes drug. This Phase IIA, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial is testing saxagliptin’s ability to improve responsiveness in DOC patients. Positive results could validate the first new drug treatment for DOC in over a decade, offering renewed hope for recovery and a better quality of life for patients and their families.

Every year, people suffer severe brain injuries that lead to prolonged disorders of consciousness (DOC), such as a vegetative or minimally conscious state. These conditions can last for years, placing a great burden on patients, families and health care systems, with limited effectiveness of current...

10/06/2026

Last chance to register for our free community engagement webinar on initiating outreach to community-based orgs on Oct 27 (thanks to support fr Burroughs Wellcome Fund). Meet Dr. Natalie Reizine of UI Health and University of Illinois Chicago in our Oct Researcher Spotlight - and more, all in our Oct enewsletter! https://bit.ly/4hvr4oV

09/28/2026

Join our webinar, Initiating Outreach for Engaging Community Orgs in Clinical Trials, on Oct 27. Thanks to support from Burroughs Wellcome Fund, this event is free for clinical researchers and their teams. Speakers representing Erie Family Health Centers, PhRMA, University of Illinois Chicago and Virginia Commonwealth University. Register today - learn more at

While the value of community health, social services and faith-based organizations to support clinical trials with sites nearby is tangible, many clinical research teams don’t know where and how to begin. This event will discuss best practices when building relationships with community-based organ...

09/21/2026

We recently started funding an ongoing at UChicago Medicine: Adding Lactulose to Immunotherapy to Improve Cancer Treatment Outcome led by Dr. Reid Shaw. Read more: https://www.cureswithinreach.org/2026/05/28/adding-lactulose-to-immunotherapy-to-improve-cancer-treatment-outcomes/ Details: While immunotherapy has transformed the treatment of many solid-organ cancers and hematologic malignancies, some patients do not respond or develop resistance to these drugs. Research has shown that the gut microbiome can affect patients’ response to immunotherapy, and lactulose, a low-cost, FDA-approved medication used to treat constipation and liver disease, has been shown to increase levels of the healthy gut bacteria Bifidobacterium in humans. The research team is conducting a two-part clinical trial adding lactulose to immunotherapy to determine if increasing Bifidobacterium in the gut helps “non-responding” tumors become responsive to immunotherapy. First, a Phase I trial is enrolling patients with several types of solid cancers, followed by a Phase II trial in melanoma patients who have stopped responding to immunotherapy. By improving patients’ immunotherapy response rates, this trial could lead to a safe, affordable and widely available method to enhance cancer treatment.

09/17/2026

Register for our free webinar on initiating outreach to engage community organizations in on Oct 27. Meet our September Researcher Spotlight on Dr. Ruth Namazzi of Global Health Uganda. And more, all in our September enewsletter out now! https://bit.ly/4rfeOvM

​Our funding is now supporting an ongoing trial led by Dr. Reid Shaw at University of Chicago. While immunotherapy has transformed the treatment of many solid-organ cancers and hematologic malignancies, some patients do not respond or develop resistance to these drugs. Research has shown that the ...

09/13/2026

With 4 ongoing plus 9 completed trials in Meniere's and vestibular disorders, we are proud to help Vestibular Disorders Association (VEDA) and patients everywhere celebrate Balance Awareness Week this week, raising awareness of conditions affecting the inner ear and central balance system. Read more at

Repurposing research projects dedicated to investigator-initiated repurposing of approved drugs, devices, diagnostics and nutraceuticals.

08/24/2026

Exciting news: last week, the successful clinical trial results of Dr. Ruth Namazzi and Global Health Uganda’s sickle cell anemia trial adding zinc supplementation were published in JAMA! Thanks to our funding partner Coefficient Giving - another reminder that is driving more treatments to more patients more quickly! https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2853064

This randomized clinical trial examines the safety and effectiveness of daily zinc supplementation to prevent all-cause infection in children with sickle cell anemia in Uganda.

08/18/2026

We recently started funding a trial underway in breast cancer at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences - Improving Breast Cancer Surgery Outcomes with Doxycycline in Tanzania - led by Dr. Sarah Nyagabona: https://www.cureswithinreach.org/2026/02/27/improving-breast-cancer-surgery-outcomes-with-doxycycline-in-tanzania/
In Tanzania and other low and lower-middle income countries (LMICs), breast cancer is often diagnosed at a later stage. Chemotherapy followed by surgery, considered standard of care, does not always fully eliminate the cancer – especially in advanced cancer – due in part to the presence of cancer stem cells, which are resistant to chemotherapy. New, affordable treatment options for LMIC breast cancer patients are needed to reduce recurrence by killing these cancer stem cells. Early laboratory research suggests that doxycycline, a low-cost antibiotic used for infections, may target cancer stem cells. This pilot, randomized, controlled trial is testing the addition of doxycycline for 14 days after chemotherapy and before surgery in Stage III luminal A type breast cancer to help eliminate cancer stem cells and improve patient outcomes.

In Tanzania and other low and lower-middle income countries (LMICs), breast cancer is often diagnosed at a later stage. Chemotherapy followed by surgery, considered standard of care, does not always fully eliminate the cancer – especially in advanced cancer – due in part to the presence of cance...

08/14/2026

Drug repurposing "success… will be measured by whether we develop a credible, reproducible and patient-centered framework for moving the strongest candidates toward evidence, labeling and access [that] patients need." per the ​Office of the Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Read more exciting details from the FDA's recent drug repurposing efforts, learn about a new breast cancer clinical trial underway, meet Dr. David Teachey of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and more - all in our August enewsletter! https://bit.ly/3RUsZtf

07/22/2026

We are now funding our first virtual clinical trial! “Building Therapeutic Options for Meniere’s Disease with Virtual Clinical Trials” led by Dr. Danny Xu at Idaho State University. This study is leveraging ISU’s virtual clinical trial platform to screen real-world cross-sectional health databases to detect already approved drugs that could show an improvement in Meniere’s symptoms. If successful, the team may identify safe, approved treatments for future clinical research in Meniere’s disease. Read more here:https://www.cureswithinreach.org/2026/03/24/building-therapeutic-options-for-menieres-disease-with-virtual-clinical-trials/