No Clinical Trial Waste

In this episode, Darshan Kulkarni explores an important yet often overlooked question—what happens after a clinical trial ends? While much focus is placed on clinical trials as a care option, the conversation shifts to the opportunities that exist for research-related resources post-trial.

Darshan is joined by:

• Lorri Warren, Program Director of the MedSurplus Alliance at the Task Force for Global Health, which focuses on improving healthcare systems and managing medical product donations.
• Donna Libretti Cooke, a consultant for Kits4Life, who formerly worked at Bayer and helped implement the Kits4Life initiative.
• Greg Folks, Chair of the Kits4Life Advisory Council, who has over 30 years of experience in clinical research, particularly from the site perspective.

The discussion highlights how clinical trial sites often accumulate surplus medical supplies and equipment, which are typically destroyed due to logistical and liability concerns. The Kits4Life initiative, built within the MedSurplus Alliance, aims to redirect these valuable resources to humanitarian efforts rather than letting them go to waste.

Greg shares how the idea stemmed from the realization that research sites were discarding perfectly usable, medical-grade supplies. Donna discusses the legal and compliance challenges faced by pharmaceutical companies in supporting such donations, emphasizing how structured donation agreements and liability protections help overcome these concerns. Lorri provides insights into how the MedSurplus Alliance facilitates these large-scale donations through vetted organizations to ensure compliance and proper distribution.

The episode underscores the importance of structured donation systems that allow surplus clinical trial supplies to benefit underserved healthcare communities, turning research into an ongoing care option even after a trial has concluded.

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