Meeting with CPRIT/BioAlliance in Houston, Texas

Following CPRIT recommendation in its latest RFA (Company formation), we submitted for "help" our proposal for review to DR Jeffrey Larson. We were cordially invited to meet at the BRC/ Texas Bioalliance on 6500 Main street today on the 10th floor today November 8th, 2012.  We showed up on time.  We met with Dr Larson and Paul Cossum, the president of the Texas BioAlliance.  Suffice is to say that the 2 men had no clue what the RFA was about.  Paul Cossum was frank: "I did not read your project".   Dr Larson spoke about " your project to open a clinic"
(as opposed to what it is: A comprehensive cancer program including education, prevention, treatment and survivorship).  He apologized because his specialty is "Commercialization".  He is more into bringing Companies from out of State, not  for reviewing project for small businesses inside Texas.  Paul Cossum did not even bother to "read" what was submitted, but already suggested that it was not what they do.  The color of my skin played into this...not read something I spent days writing.

CPRIT has been hijacked by Universities and big companies.  CPRIT has been so focused on attracting new technologies to Texas that it has forgotten that it needs people who are in contact with patients to obtain samples to be tested (and to boost clinical trial participation).  CPRIT is forgetting that it needs expansion of screening for cancer to have more samples to process.  No wonder why we met at the last convention of CPRIT many researchers with big equipment bought through CPRIT funding but lacking connection with Oncologists and patients' samples to process.  Dr Larson seemed to suggest that Commercialization through survivorship programs was not a current CPRIT interest.  Globally the project we submitted did not retain their attention.  They even kindly suggested that we are better off sending our project to the Lance Amstrong Foundation instead.  (if it is good for that foundation, why was it irrelevent to CPRIT?)

What DR Larson and Paul Cossum forgot is that we are a Coalition.  We are going to fight even all the way to the State Supreme Court to make a point.  The Coalition fights for a cure and saving lives, even if we may die in the process!

CPRIT has been taken over by politicians, Universities, large Tech and marketing Companies.
Clinicians are on the sidelines looking in. Some don't want to waste their energy.  Some clinicians are trying to stay away.

Don't hate me because I told the truth.  It is sad to see discrimination  in full display.  CPRIT was a great idea from and for the People of Texas.  Yes, I agree with DR Gilman when he said " Vultures and Hyenas" have been brought in.